Pvt. George Coles Brown, Co. A, 3rd Connecticut Infantry, On the Battle

Washington
July 31, 1861

Dear Mother,

I received your letter last night and it is the greatest pleasure that I hasten to answer it. You can guess I was glad to hear from home again.

I am feeling a little better today. I have been pretty bad off for the last week. The water I drank up at Bulls Run was what made me sick. That was the hardest day’s work that I ever did—walking 52 miles and fighting 6 hours without eating nothing but 3 pieces of hard bread.

We started at half past one o’clock in the morning and did not stop till 7 o’clock the following morning. It was the hardest road to walk on that I ever saw. The road was covered with these cobble stones and they did cut a fellow’s feet to the word go. There is no more feeling in my feet now as though they were froze. You say the 3rd has some praise there. We have none here. The other regiments have the praise for what we done. We saved two pieces of cannon that the rebels had hold of and all of the baggage wagons. I saw a team of 4 horses—the two leaders were shot dead. I cut them out alone and unloaded the wagon and brought the wagon about a mile to where the road was so blocked up with wagons that I could not get any further so I unhitched the horses and got a poor fellow that his foot shot off on one and rode the other myself. I never had any praise for that. I could tell you of a great many things I saw that the 3rd Regiment has nothing to be ashamed of.

Fred Glazier was taken very sick last night. Tell his brother that he is safe and sound. Please tell Miss Carter that Henry and Horace Carter are safe and sound and that she need not worry about them a bit. I suppose you have heard of the two boys that ran away from there and joined our company. One of them is missing. I think he is killed. He and one of our men by the name of Blue is the only men missing out of our company. It is the greatest wonder that every one was not killed. I had 3 shells burst not 3 feet from me. It took 3 or 4 pieces out of one of my hands. It was nothing that amounted to anything.

I could tell you some things that would make your eyes stick out. There was three of our men that showed the white feather but they can’t say your George did. I never expected that I should be so cool. I felt as cool as though I was shooting crows.

I can’t tell when we start for home but I guess it will be before long. I would like some of your John White pears. Save me a few. I thank you for the kind words you sent in your letter. Please write a few lines as soon as you get this if you have a mind too. The report is that we start Sunday for home.

I had a letter from Charley the day before the battle. He was in Fort Schuyler, N. Y.

From your dear son, — George C. Brown

My love to all.

Letter Image p.1, p.2, p.3

Contributed by via Aaron Webster Facebook page Civil War Letters 

Transcribed by William Griffing at Spared & Shared 

George Coles Brown at Ancestry.com 

George Coles Brown at Fold 3