1862 August 30 Fort Massachusetts, Washington, D.C.

                       
[This letter is written on stationery with the “Battle at Williamsburgh”
illustrated.]
                             Aug 30  1862
Fort Massachusetts  Washington D C
Dear Friend Olive
I though I would write
a few lines to let you
know how we are doing
out here in the south
we are all wel and harty
as can bee

they have ben fighting
at bul run 3 days or more
and our folks have whiped
them at every point of
attact.   bully for that.

[page 2]
we could hear them as plain
as day every gun they fired
and our boys was in a
great way to get there
I tel you
they come here last night
and got our baggage train
to get the kiled [?] women
and children at the bath
I have just heard that
jacson is taken with 8000
of his men prisoners
but I do not know how it is
yet
they are fireing a salute
over to the fort now for
something I don’t know what
it is if it is not for that
we are about 10 miles from
the fight at the time
and it  makes me wish I was there
we lay on our arm
the night we got hire [here]

[page 3]
and we was expecting al[l] night
a cal to go a double quick
to Chain bridge   that would
have been nice.
when we were coming out
here the car I was in run
of [f] the track, and went about
1 mile right on one edge
of the car and we had to
hang on for [word lined out]
dear life
it broke clear from the car
[-] was in or it would
have done a great deal of
damage
we had just pased over a
bridge about 50 feet high
when it com of[f] the track
it jolted us good
we have no new news to tel
at all  to write for it is
quite stil out here

[page 4]
only the secesh people
make glas pies and sel them
to the boys
but they have got
used to them so that
they know just how to
eat them
I must close now
for I have got to go
and sign another pay
role so they ran
give my love to al the
folks and tel them to
write soon
good bye friend Olive
from
         A   A   Huntley

Ambrose A. Huntley,  1st Maine Heavy Artillery

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 828

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