Camp Near Petersburgh, VA
May 17, 1864
Friend Parker:
The 148th have at last smelled gunpowder, and knowing how many rumors
are in circulation about it at home, I, to relieve the anxiety of our
friends and families, have made out a brief report of our fight,
together with a list
of the killed and wounded. We left our camp Thursday, the 12th,
with
two days rations, and with light marching orders went to the front.
We
found the enemy about 10 o'clock, our skirmishers had a fight with them
which
lasted about three hours, when our lines charged and drove them back
about
a mile. We then took up our position for the night and Co's. D
and
K of our Reg't, with others of the Brigade, were detailed for picket
duty,
we took our position and held it until morning, when we advanced, being
deployed
as skirmishers, and finding our rebels, we drove them out of the woods
into
their rifle pits and from their rifle pits into a fort which they had
built
on a small hill. Shielding ourselves by keeping behind stumps and
trees,
we advanced to within 250 yards of their works and held our our
position until
about 10 o'clock A. M., when we were relieved. We were so close
that
we could pick their gunners off when they attempted to fire their guns.
A
line of breastworks was thrown up in the rear of the rear of the
skirmishers
and here we lay until Monday morning, when the rebels, having received
heavy
reinforcements, attacked us and succeeded in turning our right flank,
when
we were obliged to fall back; and Monday night found us in our old camp.
Yours truly,
ERASTUS H. LEWIS
Acting Orderly Sergt.
From Geneva Gazette 10 June 1864
We are shown a letter from FERRIS SCOTT, Chaplin of the 148th
Reg't, dated at Gain's Mills, Va, June 5th. From it we learn of
the death
of two of our esteemed fellow townsman,
Wm. C. Tyler and
R.
F.
Scott. The letter was shown us just before going to press,
yet
with the permission of Mrs. Scott, we make the following extract:
"We have lost in killed and wounded nearly 130 men. I have not as
yet been able to make out a complete list, but as soon as I can I will
do so and forward it. McNaughton and Capt. Gage are "all right"
this (Sunday) morning; but Wm. C. Tyler was instantly killed on Friday
morning by the
bursting of a shell. He was in our hospital at the time, struck a
tree near him, burst, a piece hit him square in the breast and killed
him
instantly. He did not so much as move or groan. He was
buried
near the spot and his grave is marked.
On the same day towards night, Lieut.
R. F. Scott received
what
was considered only a slight wound in the back of the neck, by the
bursting
of one of our own shells. He was brought off the field on a
stretcher, his wound dressed, and he was sent to the corps hospital.
In the morning of yesterday (Saturday) I learned that he was
dead. I went to the
hospital and it was true -- he died soon after midnight. I found
a
cousin of his from the 126th Regiment with him, and quite a number of
officers
and men from that and our own regiment. We dug a grave and buried
him
in a christianlike manner. It is impossible to send any one home
now.
Lieut. Scott was highly esteemed by all who knew him in the army.
He
was one of our very best officers, and his loss will be severely felt.
I
have messed and slept with him for a whole year, and he seemed to me
almost
like a brother. But he has fallen. It is sad to think he
was
killed by one of our own shots, but such are the accidents of war."
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