Henry A. Smith to Family

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Camp six miles south of CulpeperAugust 14 1862Dear Mother Sisters and Brothers

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I received Mothers letter and Franks in due time but have not had time to answer them We left Culpeper Court House about the 5th on a scout to Orange Court House after a march of a day and a half The advance guard were fired on our men returned the fire and followed them up to the town where the fifth NY Cav were sent out as flankers while our regiment kept skirmishing with them to draw their attention. when the flanker had got around our regt drove them into the Town where a sharp fight took place The rebels numbering about 75 were Charging on some other Companies when our Company and one other of Carbi nes gave them a volley and turned them

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The rebels had about the same number of men that we did there were but two Companies on the other side of them so they could not hold them all 17 of them were killed as many more wounded and 52 taken Prisoners our men lost two killed eight or ten wounded and four Prisoners we then fell back 12 miles and camped for the night. the next day we started for Rapidan Station not finding any thing there we pushed on toward Madison to which we arrived after a days march and got three days rations and started toward Gordon sville to go on picket guard went about 7 miles and had to stand on most all night the next morning part of our Company went down to the 10 mile post from G and found some rebel Pickets they retre ated and so did we then we heard that we were cut off from Culpeper

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and that they were fighting there so we had a forced march way up around Woodville two days and one night The night before we went through Woodville troops were passing through there all night this told told the story what was going on in Culpeper Jackson had pitched into Banks with a Force numbering between 50 & 60000 while ours was only 10000 but got reinfor ced just in time to save being cut to pieces the battle was a very hard one 700 of our men are reported to have been killed woun ded and missing Aug 15 Culpeper is a larger place than Woodstock Vt and is one vast Hospital the Battle was on Saturday and Sunday. Gen Pope was there and took Command the enemy had a great deal of Cavalry our men had only 2 regiments they

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cut up our Infantry very bad once they charged on Pope and his staff and came near taking him the fight was not renewed but our forces are following up Jackson he on the retreat our regt in advance deployed as Skirmishers we are now about 9 miles from Culpeper had a skirmish with their rear guard Tuesday a battery put four shells among them and scattered them it is reported that Burnside is engaging Jackson I must send this letter now for the mail man has come I shall write again as soon as I can


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