IN LINE BATTLE NEAR SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE, VA., May 17, 1864. My Dear Mother: Again by kind Providence I am permitted to write you a short letter. There has been no general engagement since I last wrote you. Fights and skirmishing are kept up along the line. Our brigade is now the extreme left of [...]

MAY 17th.—Sunshine and showers. The battle yesterday decided nothing, that I am aware of. We captured 1000 prisoners, stormed some of their intrenchments; losing altogether probably as many as the enemy. But we drove them back to Bermuda Hundred, behind their fortifications, and near their ships. Gen. Johnston was attacked at Dalton by 80,000 men [...]

May, Tuesday 17, 1864 Oh! most miserable day—Mrs. Perkins almost made me mad at her deep distress—Poor, poor Nannie, my heart aches for her, would to God I might be the medium through which all could be made happy—Miss Em is so widely different in her political feeling, there will never be any happiness, I [...]

May 17, 1864, 10 a.m. Our regiment moves in rear of the division to-day and we are still waiting for the trains to pass. We can hear firing in front occasionally, and although we have seen fighting enough to satisfy us for a time, still it’s more disagreeable to be away in the rear and [...]

May 16.–I have not written in my diary for a month and it has been the saddest month of my life. Dear, dear Grandfather is dead. He was buried May 2, just two weeks from the day that he returned from New York. We did everything for him that could be done, but at the [...]

Monday, 16th–Reveille sounded at 3 o’clock and at 5 we started on our way to Waynesburg. We reached the place at noon and went into camp for the rest of the day. The troops kept coming in from Clifton all the afternoon.[1] Our corps, the Seventeenth, is all together again, and now in command of [...]

Monday, 16th.—Last night after dark everything moved out of ditches. Suppose the Yanks are flanking us again, while waiting “en masse” to get across the river, a minnie ball, nearly spent, came down among us, and struck one of our boys. With a groan, he caught the place, and the boys gathered round to see [...]

May 16th. Last night we fell back to Mount Jackson, when orders were given to fall back, or to continue the march. I am about worn out for the want of sleep and rest. This is war and the life of a soldier. With all our troubles it continues to rain very hard and the [...]

16th. Moved down to the valley near Fredericksburg. Went into town twice and looked at the fortifications and city. It must have been beautiful before the war. Scenery along the river splendid. Went around with Nettleton and Seward. Town full of wounded.

Monday May 16th 1864 It has been rather a still and quiet day. No exciting news has been circulated and it is understood that not much fighting has been done for the past two or three days. Lee is said to be now occupying a strong position south of Spotsylvania C. H. and I think [...]

MAY 16th.—Warm—sunshine and light showers. Memorable day—not yet decided at 2 P.M. Early this morning Gen. Beauregard attacked the enemy on the south side of the river, and by 9 A.M. he had sent over to the city Gen. Heckman and 840 prisoners, the entire 27th Massachusetts Regiment. Subsequently it is said 400 were sent [...]

May, Monday 16, 1864 Laura awakened me at daylight to see Cousin Frazor, John and Capt. Wormely leave for Dixie—they left early for fear they would meet a squad of Yanks later in the day. Miss Em and Nannie went to Memphis this morning, got back safe, no late news except Yankee lies, which say [...]

May 16, 1864, 6 p.m. The old story—the Rebels evacuated last night. They made two or three big feints of attacking during the night, but are all gone this morning. It is said they have taken up a position some five miles ahead. Prisoners and deserters are coming in. At Resaca we captured eight cannon, [...]

Sunday, 15th–We had regimental inspection this morning at 10 o’clock. Two regiments came out from Clifton as reinforcements for ours. We turned over all our tents, except one for every five men and this evening received orders to be ready to march in the morning at 5 o’clock for Waynesburg, Tennessee. Jason Sparks arrived this [...]

Sunday, 15th.—At 7 A. M., ordered to the new line we left last night, and were fired on very heavy as we were moving in. By 10 A. M., had pretty fair works, by digging with bayonets and throwing out dirt with our hands. Heavy skirmishing all along the lines. Lieutenant Hill, Company C, killed. [...]

May 15th. Rain. Rain. On picket, wondering why we do not get relieved. It is past time for the relief to show up. Lieutenant Kerr sends a detail to camp to learn the cause. Returned in a short time, reported the regiment had left for parts unknown. The Lieutenant called in the pickets to the [...]

Sunday, 15th. Trains passing to the rear all night and today. Started teams for forage. Rainy night and cloudy today. Several from the Regt. down, Col. P.–Regt. under Maj. Nettleton had a fight with a brigade of rebs. Lost 15 or 20 horses, and four men were wounded. Rebs fell back as soon as the [...]

MAY 15th.—Clouds, sunshine, and showers. The tremendous cannonading all day yesterday at Drewry’s Bluff was merely an artillery duel—brought on by the heavy skirmishing of pickets. The batteries filled the air with discordant sounds, and shook the earth with grating vibration. Perhaps 100 on each side were killed and wounded—”not worth the ammunition,” as a [...]

May, Sunday 15, 1864 This has been an unpleasant, unhappy Sabbath—oh! we differ so in politics from Miss Em—I am afraid her visit will be miserable. Helen and Nannie went to Church—Col. Perkins came home with them, spent the evening. Capt. Wormely came over to spend the night, preparatory to leaving at daylight in company [...]

May 15, 1864, 1:30 a.m. At 11 p.m. went again on the skirmish line with Captain Post and superintended the construction of rifle pits for our skirmishers. A good deal of fun between our boys and the Rebels talking only 50 yards apart. Five thirty a.m.—At 3 a.m. moved and are now supporting Osterhaus, who [...]

Saturday, 14th–The weather is quite warm and pleasant. A large fleet of transports arrived at Clifton this morning, loaded with troops and supplies, the wagons and teams of the Seventeenth Corps being on board. We also received a large mail. News came that General Grant had defeated the rebels in a two days’ battle before [...]

Saturday 14th.—Federals advanced; some pretty heavy fighting just to our left. We have very dangerous position, being near a short turn in our works. Minnie balls and shells come very freely on our left flank and rear. Lieutenant J. T. Brown shot through the knee by minnie ball from the rear. 5 P. M., Companies [...]

May 14th. Rain. Broke camp at 4 o’clock this morning. Again on the march, pushing up the valley. Heavy cannonading going on at a distance. By the sound, hot work must be going on at the front. Marching on, passed through the town of Edenburg. Go into camp about a mile from the town. Our [...]

14th.—The cavalry fight on the Chickahominy was very severe. The Yankees escaped on Thursday night; they should not have been allowed to get off. Our sad deficiency in numbers is always in our way. The death of another of our beloved E. H. S. boys has shocked us greatly—I mean that of Colonel Robert Randolph, [...]