William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
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Still I can say we are all right. Yesterday morning at day- light we advanced our
line about one and ahalf miles and occupied a new position, and have built a
good “rifle pit” and are quietly laying here behind it waiting for the
“Johnnies” to attack us, eat up their grub, or take a new position, for we are
all the time working in behind them, and fortified as we go. Our position now is
almost south of Spottsylvania, and
about two miles from it. The
“Rebs” have got a very strong position, and I believe the design is to flank them out of it rather than sacrifice the lives of so
many as we should have to in fighting them out of it.
From all accounts they must soon be getting short of grub. Last evening “Earlys
Reb” Division got around our right and took 30 of our waggons on the
Fredricksburgh road, but a lot of Vetrans coming to the front came up just then
and drove them off until the “Second Corps” had
time to get around
them where they soon cleaned them out and gave them a good whipping, and they
did not get a single waggon. It is very quiet along our
part of the line today but we all know very well that something is going on somewhere else, for Gels Grant & Meade are
not asleep. We have a splendid position and can whip
twice our number if they would pitch at us where we are, but we do not expect
any such good luck. Genl. Burnside has just passed by with his Staff and is
looking finely.
You can hardly realize that I write this laying on
the ground in a big pine woods with the sharp crack of the picket’s rifle
ringing in my ears about once a minut, and so near that we can hear the “bullets wistle”. I was shot at last night, but the fellow
must have been a very poor shot for he did not come within a rod of me at least. I have not had a man hit since I wrote you last.
Two mails have come in and I have not received a letter
by either of them, and I write every time I have a chance to send a letter. For
a few days past it has been cooler weather and I have felt much better. Love to
all. Tell Gara Willis stands it like an old Vetran
As ever William