Letter written by John from Brookes Station, Virginia to his brother Dan on May 10, 1863
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Near Brookes StationVa (Virginia) (Brooks' Station, Virginia)
May 10th / 63 Brother Dan (Dan)
Since I last write home
I suppose the North has been
throw
into excitement over the movement
of
Hooker (Hooker, Joseph
(General)) To us it gave plenty
of hard riding but not
much
fighting Our Brigade of
Pleasanton (Pleasonton,
Alfred (General)) s
Division (General
Pleasonton's Division) was sent with
Stoneman (Stoneman, George
(General))
while
Pleasanton (Pleasonton, Alfred
(General)) with the other
Brigade went with the
Infantry
At Kelly's Ford (Kelly's
Ford, Virginia)
Stoneman (Stoneman, George
(General))
with
Grey (Gregg, David McMurtrie (General)
) s (Greys Division) [Div?]
Buford (Buford, John
(General)) s Division (Buford's
Division)
started for Raccoon
Ford (Raccoon Ford, Virginia)
while
Our Brigade & Averill (Averell, William Woods
(General)) s Division (Averill's
Division)
started for
Culpepper (Culpeper,
Virginia)
and was
to join
Stoneman (Stoneman, George
(General)) near
Gordonsville (Gordonsville,
Virginia)
.
We had a smart skirmish
with Fitz-Hugh Lee (Lee, Fitzhugh
(General)) near
Culpepper (Culpeper,
Virginia)
but drove him to
across
Rapidan (Rapidan
River) where he had a very
strong position and Gen. Averill (Averell, William Woods (General))
was too cowardly to attempt to
drive him from it. After a
& whole days skirmishing across
the River we fell back and joined
Hooker (Hooker, Joseph (General)) where Averill (Averell, William Woods (General)) was put
under arrest and sent to Washington (Washington, District of Columbia)
where I hope he will be kept
We had but little fighting
but Pleasanton (Pleasonton, Alfred (General)) with his Brigade
made a single charge in which
he lost fifty two Officers
The Infantry are in their
old Camps but we have been
guarding Fords up toward Warrenton (Warrenton, Virginia)
till yesterday when we came here
The fighting was very sever (severe)
but we decidedly got the best of
it. The Rebs were never know
to fight with such desperation
I think that we shall
cross again inside of a week
Old Hooker (Hooker, Joseph (General)) was to the
extreme front all the time
I should have hunted
up Elijah (Elijah) to day if I had not
been on guard. The Army is in
the best of spirits and anxious
for another move.
The weather for a week past
has been wet and cold but
to day is quire warm
I was glad to hear
of the good success of Charles (Charles)
I hope it will continue
We are waiting anxiously
for Old Abe (Lincoln, Abraham (President of the United States)) to call out
Conscripts I have not
time time to write any
more for I have a chance
to send this soon Write
soon and direct as usual John (John) P.S.
Joel
Wilson (Wilson, Joel) is
at
Fort Pillon Tennessee (Fort Pillon,
Tennessee)
PS