“W,” Co. G (1st), 13th New York Infantry, On the Battle

War Correspondence.
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From a Private in Captain Lewis’ Company.

Washington, July 22.

———-: I am a live and well. You have probably heard before this how the Thirteenth was cut up in the battle of Bull’s Run, on Sunday. Of course you would think I was not born to be shot, after what I went through yesterday. I had my rifle shot out of my hand, and the ball grazed one of my fingers, just taking the skin off. The rebels were within fifty rods of me, and I had just fired two shots. When our troops began to retreat, I ran with three others into a gully. I was out of breath, and was sitting down, when one of the three who were with me stood up and said, “They are coming,” and the others got over the fence before me. I was astraddle of the fence when all three of them were shot dead. The fence I was on was riddled with balls. When they shot my rifle out of my hands, I pulled off everything, and run for dear life along the fence until I got into the woods, from which we had drive the rebels out a few hours before. It was full of dead and wounded rebels. I got one of their canteens full of cold water. It was the first I had since morning, and it have been a very hot day. I reached here at sunrise this morning, after walking all the way – about fifty miles – since two o’clock yesterday morning.

We commenced to retreat about five o’clock in the afternoon. I caught a horse and rode him about a mile, when he threw me, and I had to walk the rest of the way. I don’t know how I stood it. It commenced to rain at two o’clock this morning, and has not stopped yet. ***

***When I arrived here I laid down in a tent and went to sleep, and when I woke up I could not move, I was so stiff, but I will get over that soon. I will write again to-morrow morning.

W.

Rochester (NY) Evening Express, 7/26/1861

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Contributed by John Hennessy