Dear Parents,

You will think perhaps that I am dead by not writing for so long a time but I am alive and well yet.  I got your letter a week ago but I had no materials to write with.  I was very glad to get your likenesses.  I got a paper at the same time and Ashley’s  since I wrote to you last.

Till the enemy crossed the Potomac, we were fighting or within sight  of the enemy all the time.  We left that place the next day and marched to Frederick City.  The enemy were just leaving.  Our batteries gave them a few shells.  The cavalry charged through the town and took 600 prisoners.  The enemy made a stand a few miles farther in the Gap of a mountain.  We encamped near the city.  The next day our forces drove them out of it.  Our division started about 4 o’clock and marched to Middletown the next day. 

We had a very hard battle at South Mountain.  We drove the enemy back several times. The battle  began early in the morning  and lasted until ten o’clock at night.  Our regiment was not engaged with the enemy, but  was under fire from four o’clock till it ended, and was on picket the rest of the night.  The next morning our company was detailed to take some prisoners to Middletown .  I was not with the regiment at the time when they left and not knowing how long they would be away, I joined another company.   We started about noon and marched into the evening.  The next morning, the enemy began to shell our camps.  Their shells came hissing and roaring all around us but it did not injure a great many.    Our batteries opened on them and soon silenced them .  They changed their position and commenced shelling us again.  Our artillery silenced them again and they retreated back.  Our forces followed.  The rebels planted their batteries on the northwest side of Antietam Creek.  They shelled our camp some in the afternoon.   In the morning, our battery opened on them.  They returned fire.  The infantry soon became engaged and one of the hardest engagements that ever occurred took place.  What I write occurred on the right of our army.

Burnside commands the left wing of the army.  Our brigade  was ordered to charge the stone bridge that led across the creek.  The rebels had a good position as could be desired.  They were on a very steep hill.  The bank rose almost perpendicular to the height  of nearly 100 feet and was covered with large trees.  The rebels had made rifle pits  one above the other  of rail and split wood.   There was a stone wall at the top.  The rebels had their batteries about a half mile back of these on a still higher elevation.  Our batteries had a good position back of us on the hills and silenced them soon after we got engaged.  Our infantry was on the opposite side hill in an open field and we could not see one of the rebels but we put the bullets in where we knew they were so fast, that they laid low.  The First Brigade was repulsed in trying to cross.  The Second were ordered up.  We made a rush and crossed.  The rebels skedaddled over the hill behind their batteries, amid showers of bullets.  Many a brave gray jacket bit the dust.   Len Sharp was killed in trying to rally his men.

The Third Division crossed the creek by a ford lower down the creek and charged on the batteries.  The rebels skedaddled and left their guns.  The rebels seeing there was so small  a force charged on them and drove them back and opened fire on them from the batteries and forced the grape and canister in their ranks.  They kept retreating back.  Other divisions were ordered up.  Our forces fell back till they could get some shelter.  Our batteries had used up all their ammunition.  Our division lay down near the bridge.   We were told that we would not have to fight anymore that day; that reinforcements would arrive, but there was none came but the rest of the Ninth Army Corps.  We were almost out of ammunition but were ordered up.  We marched forward. The others were falling back in great confusion.  We got behind a fence and commenced firing.  We fired away all our ammunition and lay down behind the fence and laid there an hour and a quarter.  All this time, the rebels were firing from three batteries as fast as they could.  The shells, balls, grape and canister were flying around us  in every direction, some striking men and tearing them all to pieces.  It was about dark when we retired from the field.  We went back to the bridge.  Firing seized on both sides.  A line of skirmishers was thrown out just at the brow of the hill and remained so all the next day.  Of course, we could not tell what was going on on the right but we could hear heavy firing till late in the afternoon.

The next day we were on picket and the pickets kept firing back and forth when they got a chance.  The enemy had possession of the battle field in the afternoon.  Our wounded were left on the battlefield till the next morning.  That night we went back over the bridge.

Fresh troops took our place the next morning.  Our pickets advanced and found the enemy gone.  We started in pursuit.  The main body moved on the main road through Sharpsburg to Shepardstown Ford.  They found the enemy had not all crossed.  They took some prisoners, baggage and canon.  We advanced toward Harpers Ferry.  We came to a halt at a place called Antietam Ironworks.  It is where the creek enters the Potomac.  We have gone into camp here.  Pickets are stationed all along the Potomac .  We were on two days.  How long we shall stay here is uncertain.  We are under marching orders.

Our loss at  South Mountain of our regiment was 7 wounded.  At Antietam, 42 wounded and 7 killed. We had 85 men in our regiment the morning fit for duty.  Part of Company A was away.  We have had some recruits since the stragglers have come in so it makes about 300 able for duty.  The regiment is in charge of a captain. 

Tell Ashley I will write to him soon.  We heard yesterday that Siegal had advanced to Warrenton Junction and taken a thousand prisoners.  I think we shall advance soon.  General Reno was killed at South Mountain . General Sturgis is in command of our division.  General Cox is in command of the Corps.  Colonel Ferraro has been promoted to Brigadier General.  He is commander of our Brigade.  He was promoted the day after the battle. 

The hardest part of the both battles appears to have been on the right of the Army commanded by McClellan.  The general said that taking the bridge saved the day.  For the right had all they could do and when the bridge was taken, it drew the attention of the Rebel Army so that enabled our troops to repulse them. 

There is some orchards about here but there is guards on them.  We have to go off 3 or 7 miles to get anything.  We go out foraging pretty often but we are in a loyal State and it won’t do to steal too much.

I don’t think of much more to write.  Direct your letters as usual.  Goodbye for this time.

My love to you  all,