The Holt Letters, Letter Five

Near the Rapidan River August 13th 1862

                                                      Dear Farther I
receeved your letter of the 9th to day and one from Mother
yesterday and was verry glad to get them and find
you well I am well and in good spirits but
yesterday I expected to see some very great fighting
the 8th the reble army under Jackson made an
atect on Culpper and our men Bankes divisioun the
46th Pa 28th N.Y. 5th Conn and 2nd Mss held the
rebles 20 thousand strong all the afternoon and
had to fall back but Millroys brigade cam to
his aid and preventid a stampeed but Farther
there was som dreadfull fighting the 46th had
orders to charge bayonets and the rebles prested on
to them so that they charged with clubed rifle
not haveing time to fix bayonets and a good
many head were broke in we was at Woodvill
and had jest come from Madison Court house
so we was not in the fight our men fell back
but our forces cam on verry fast and yesterday
we started to attect them our regt was on the
advance while any quanty of cavalry behind us
we had 2 batterys of of 6 peaces each to six
post us we moved on as schirmishers the cav.
cuming on behind in lines of battle and the infantry
behind them in they drawed their cavl up in line
and sent in thier schirmishes we got up within
a half mile of them and then we let some shell
in to them and they run like sheep in to the woods
and to make the story short Jackson and his infantry
had all left the next day after the fight and only
left his cavl force to make us beleve he was they
I suppoas he left for Gordonsvil but thier will be
no knowing when we shall have a fight we
have a large force here now but I can not
write any more now I send this hopeing this will
find you well as it does me this from your ever
affectionate Son

Henry Holt

I will write as often as I can
and I want you to if you dont know where
I be direct to our regt Washington D.C.

 

Notes:

Rapidan River is located in the Shenandoah Valley.

"Millroys": Brigadier General Robert Milroy, Union commander.

46th: a Pennsylvania regiment.