86

"Bulets ware flying as thick as hale and the men falling all around me "

John R. Stickle[?]

Letter which seems to be describing the Battle of Malvern Hill.

"Camp Starvation," 9 July 1862
Autograph Letter Signed (somewhat illegibly) to nephew George Hunt. 4 pages, 8 x 5 inches, on one folding sheet; mailing folds, minor wear. With partial typed transcript.

This is a great combat letter, but we have not yet fully identified the author, his regiment, or where he was writing from. Given the date, it seems as if he's describing the Battle of Malvern Hill from the losing Confederate side. We don't know where "Camp Starvation" was; the name was used a few times throughout the war by sardonic soldiers on both sides. 

Our letter-writer did not have strong penmanship, and his spelling was completely phonetic; he does not employ a single period or comma. We offer these quotes first as he wrote them, and then in something like standard English.

"I cannot give you the fool detale of the hart rendering senes that I have bin through in the last tenn dase but one thing I can say I never want to se the same sights agane I helpt to carey of som the wounded and in some places tha ware piled up like wood and we hade to pool the ded of from the wounded so we could get them I walked over ground ware the bload was half shoos deepe and the shell grape canester & bulets ware flying as thick as hale and the men falling all around me but thank god I was spared and what saved me I cannot tell I gess I was not bornd to be shot. . . . We was falling back and fighting for 6 dase and had nothing to eat but hard crackers and tha was scarse fore we could not get to the wagon trane fore tha was shoved on ahed out of the way of the shels . . . we lost our colnel & major Kiernan[?] 2 capt quite a lot of officers in fact our brigade is half gon and wat is left of us is all used up we are weak tired & wore out."

The same with standardized spelling and punctuation: "I cannot give you the full detail of the heart-rending scenes that I have been through in the last ten days, but one thing I can say: I never want to see the same sights again. I helped to carry off some of the wounded, and in some places they were piled up like wood, and we had to pull the dead off from the wounded so we could get them. I walked over ground where the blood was half-shoe deep, and the shell, grape, canister, and bullets were flying as thick as hail, and the men falling all around me, but thank God I was spared, and what saved me I cannot tell. I guess I was not born to be shot. . . . We were falling back and fighting for 6 days, and had nothing to eat but hard crackers and they were scarce, for we could not get to the wagon train, for they were shoved on ahead out of the way of the shells . . . We lost our colonel & Major Kiernan[?], 2 captains, quite a lot of officers. In fact, our brigade is half gone, and what is left of us is all used up. We are weak, tired, and worn out."

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