If you love a good Irish Brigade letter with a firsthand account of being chased by the rebels, the execution of a deserter, and skinning 10 little pigs - this letter has it all!
The writer of our letter, William A. Smith, writes from Turkey Run, Virginia on October 29, 1863. Smith had enlisted in the 116th Pennsylvania in August of 1862 and served the duration of his enlistment in Company D. The letter is a total of 7 pages, written in ink and fully signed. Smith writes the letter almost in “diary form” covering from October 1st, where they crossed the Rapidan River, until the 29th of October, the date of our letter. We love firsthand accounts where the writer describes their actual encounters with the rebels… and not what someone else did! Smith was shot at 3 times as he spurred his horse and was chased!
A nice action-filled letter in fine condition!
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Transcription:
Head Quarters near Turkey Run Oct. 29/63
My Dear Father & Mother & Sister’s
I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that I just received your letter tonight and
was very glad to hear from you. And to give you a little account that has been going on from the
first of month up to this time. Oct. 1st we were on the Rapidan River. The 2nd there was a Deserter
shot. His name was Adam Small, Co E, 66th N.Y. Vols. The 3rd there was 2 prisoners came in our
lines today. The 4th there was no change. The 5th the 6th corps. came up to relieve our corps. to
come back to the rear. The 6th we started back to the rear and came about 2 miles on this side of
Culpeper and put up camp there. The 7th we went to work and put up a log house. The 8th we
finished our house. The 9th we started to build a stable for our horses and then we got orders to
move with 8 days rashens. The 10th we marched about 4 miles southwest of Culpeper and went in
line of battle there. The 11th we got orders to march at 3 o’clock in the morning and fell back as far
as Brandy Station on this side of Rappahannock River. The 12th we went back on the other side of
the river again as far as Brandy Station and the cavalry had a fight there. The 6th New York
Cavalry made 3 splendid charges on the Rebs there and drove the back. The 13th we had orders
to march at 12 o’clock march as far as Warrington Junction and had a brush with them there and
laid on our arms all night. The 14th we up on the march at 3 o’clock in the morning and went to
Auber Mills and there we were to get time to make coffee we just got out fires built and the Rebs
seen the fires and they through shells right in to us before daylight and we had to get out of that
in a hurry we made a charge on their battery and took it and there we had a sharp time there and
then we fell back as far as Bristow Station and there we had a big fight there they tacked us on a
flank movement and we drove them off the battle ground and took 6 pieces of artillery and 2
stands of colors and 500 prisoners and we marched all night and got to Bull Run battle ground and
there we stopped for the rest of the night at Bristow. I was very near being taken there I was sent to
the rear of our division with the Doctor (Stiles) to where he was going to make the hospital and as I
was coming back to the division the Rebs were trying to get in our rear they hollow at me to stop
but I could not see the point so I turned around a put the spur to the horse and got away from them
they shot at me 3 times but it was no use of them doing that for they could not commit and I told
the cavalry of it and they made a charge on them and took them prisoners. The 15th today we have
been fighting all the time and drove them about 4 miles and our corps. lay on the battle ground.
The 16th last night the cavalry got in the rear of them and run them for miles the cavalry got them
on a open plain and made a charge on them and cut them all to pieces and took some prisoners
and it has been raining all day. The cavalry has been making a reconnoiter on the other side of
Bulls Run today. And we shot a deserter out of my Regt. today his name is James P. Herley of Co. B,
116 Regt. P. Vols. He used to be about Guss Tavern as hostler he was shot in the head. He came out
as a substitute in the 134th Regt. P. Vols. The 17th there was nothing new but some cavalry fighting
going on our right and they moved up the pontoons today. The 18th we are laying for orders to
march with the horses saddle and we got 8 days rashens again for another raid. The 19th we
advance as far as Bristow Station and stayed there for the night. The 20th we started on the march
again at daylight and went to Gainesville and them to Greenwich and there we went to Auber Mills
and got there at 10 o’clock at night. The 21st 22nd there was nothing new going on. The 23rd we got
orders to march again and we went to a place they call Turkey Run about 3 miles from Warrington
and there we made Head Quarters. The 24th, 25th nothing new but some cavalry fighting going on
at Morrisville or near Bealeton Station. The 27th we got orders to get ready to march at a moment
notice and then we got orders at night to stay where we are and to be ready it they call on us to come.
The 28th nothing new. Today is the 29th we are in the same place yet we caught a chicken that was
running around loose and so we froze on to it and had some soup out of it and it did not go bad for a
change for when we are on a march the pigs and chickens has to suffer as the last day we marched I
seen 8 or 10 little pigs killed in side of 10 minutes. We don’t stop to scald the hair off of them we take
the skin off and it don’t take long to do it when we are hungry and out of rashens the officers try to
stop it but it is no use of try it for it is all over before they get to them. It is fun sometimes to see them
the boys start up a rabbit and then the best one get it one falling over the top of the other it don’t make
no difference how tired they are of marching but if a rabbits happen to jump up then look out for the
hollowing and running for it then you would laugh to burst your sides out to see the fun. Well I must
stop writing for I think I have give you a pretty good account of the march and thing that was going
on a long the march from the first of the month up to this time. So give my love to Mrs. & Mr. Apple
and the rest of the family and give my best respects to Andy & Becky Joyce and all of the rest of my
friends. So my love to you all. So goodbye and write soon.From Your Son
Wm. A. Smith
Turkey Run, Va.
