Henry Welch Letter to his Aunt and Uncle, July 18th, 1863
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"Near Maryland Heights
July 18th, 1863
Dear Uncle and Aunt,
I take my pen again to write a few lines to you to let you know how I am getting along this summer. I am in good health and getting along on foot the great part of the time; moving from fifteen to 20 and 30 miles a day, which keeps us chaps rather busy! We started from Stafford June 13th and have been marching ever since or else fighting the rebels; we have marched all night and all day without stopping to sleep an hour and I have found it just as hard as hoeing potatoes and not…”
“…half as pleasant; we had great times marching up through Virginia for we done some little confiscating now and then which helped us along some it was very hot weather thought and I saw many soldiers drop down dead from the reflects of the heat! We stopped two days at Leesburg and I can tell you that is a tough place there was but one union man in the place. It is quite a large Village. The little boys just old enough to talk would call us damned Yankee soldiers and say some of us would get shot around there before we left of course they heard their folks talk such stuff and they knew no better than to tell us of it; while we were there I visited the old battle field…”
“…at ball’s bluff where the rebels drove our men into the river and killed and drowned so many of them! There was graves about forty feet long where the rebels piled up our men and buried them after we left there I saw nothing of interest until we got into Pennsylvania then we commenced having skirmishes with the rebs along until we got near Gettysburg there we had a hard fought battle old soldiers say that it was the hardest battle of the war our regiment was lucky and did not get in any very tight places during the battle although we were on the battle field all the time the battle lasted there was two wounded in our company and…”
“…one killed. Nelson Thair was killed you was acquainted with him? The bullet struck his forehead and went through his head killing him instantly he was killed by our own men we were in line of battle in front of a piece of woods that the rebs held it was about tew o’clock at night there was another line of men behind us they were lying on the ground asleep the rebs commenced firing at us and we were ordered to fall back to the second line so as to form a stronger line we started and got nearly to them when they jumped up supposing we were rebs and fired a voley at us and then run they killed and wounded a number. I do not know exactly how man y. I had a good notion to fire at cowards I would about as soon shot one as a reb…”
“…the 3rd of July was the hardest days fight of the battle on that day the air seemed almost filled with shot bullets and shells the shell would go whizzing over our head about close enough to pleasant. Horses and men were lying all about some dying and others town to pieces so that one could hardly see that it resembled a human form. It was an awful sight still we hardly minded it at the time you may think it strange but after we get engaged in battle we don’t mind anything going on near us we are looking off to sight of the rebels…”
“…I suppose you have heard how the battle ended? We gave them a fine dressing out this time and I am in hopes that we will whip them again in a few days! We expected to cross the river this morning we shall most likely cross in a day or so; the sooner we cross the better! I have marched about enough but I can march more and I am for following them up and not give them time to get ready to meet us; Vicksburg is ours and I hear that Port Hudson has surrendered today’s paper reports that Charleston is taken by our men if this is all true I am in hopes to make you a visit by next winter but I must close my letter please write…”
“…and let me know what is going on up there let me know how you get along with your work please excuse poor writing and all mistakes! Good bye for this time,
From Henry
P.S. I will send you a rebel letter and a tract that I took from a dead rebel’s knapsack!.”