Camp Pierpont, Va. Dec. 20th, 1861
Friday evening, nine o’clock
My dear Mother:-
I expected to write to you to-day, but have been waiting the last four hours in order that I might be able to give you the events which have been transpiring this afternoon within hearing. The Reserve Corps have had a fight!
This morning about five o’clock the Third Brigade under General Ord started out toward Dranesville. By referring to those statistics I sent home last week you will see what regiments compose that Brigade.
The object was to forage for hay, oats, and corn. The rest of the Reserve Corps were left in camp, except the “Bucktails,” who also went out.
Near Dranesville our advance guard was attacked by the enemy’s throwing a few shells at us. The battle then began. Their force was about equal to ours. The engagement lasted more than an hour but we whipped them completely and ran them off the field. The 9th Regiment and the “Bucktails” were in the hottest of the fight. There were but two companies of the 10th regiment engaged but they did good execution as Adjt. Smith told me he counted seven rebel privates and a Captain dead, killed by one volley from our two companies. Our loss is perhaps six killed and two or three times as many wounded. None killed in the 10th or 12th. Capt. Sam Dick, son of Congress man John Dick of Meadville, 9th Regiment, is wounded but not mortally. Adjt. Sion Smith was struck by a spent rifle ball which bruised his side but did not break the skin. Sion has just finished describing the fight to me and lain down to sleep. He says there are in the neighborhood of fifty rebels lying there dead to-night. Eight prisoners were taken, some of them belonged to the 1st Kentucky Regt., others to South Carolina and Alabama. Nineteen of their wounded were taken to neighboring houses. It was a complete rout—the rebels threw down guns, blankets, knapsacks, cartridge boxes and took to their heels as fast as they could. Our men have brought in a great many relics. The Adjt’s black boy has brought in guns and accoutrements. They are here before me, and one of them all stained with blood. Sion has brought in a couple of blankets which he picked up. We will use them to cover us to-night as it is quite cool, especially toward morning. Some of the boys examined the pockets of a few of the dead rebels and took their pocket-books, etc. One of them showed me a Confederate $20 note. General Ord severely reprimanded some of the soldiers whom he saw cutting the buttons off the coat of an Officer who was lying dead. He said, “Let him alone! He was a brave man though he was fighting in a bad cause.” Strange how hardened a soldier becomes!
It must have been an awful sight though no worse than any other battle-field. There were headless trunks and mangled features scattered over the ground in every direction and deep groans of the wounded and dying could be heard all through the wood. The enemy’s position was in a dense growth of small pines and brush. Our Battery of Artillery silenced them, killing six of their horses and destroying their caissons, but they managed to get their cannon off the field. It is said that Col. McCalmont was the coolest man on the field. General Ord is lauded highly for his bravery and coolness. He superintended in person the placing of our Artillery while shot and shell were flying all around him.[1]
I will send you a cartridge of a breech-loading rifle which was taken this afternoon—it is something of a curiosity.
It is said by a prisoner who was taken a few days since that if the weather continues fair a few days longer they intend to attack us. Perhaps they may. Let them come!
All the Rocklanders are well except Alex Solinger who has a touch of jaundice. Please write again as soon as convenient—Good night, dear mother,
Your affectionate son, James
Next posting: January 4, 2012
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335
[1] In the Dranesville battle of December 20 the Confederate troops of Brigadier General J. E. B. Stuart took 194 casualties, while Ord’s Union forces suffered 68. The College Company defended the left flank of an artillery battery successfully and took no casualties. Scarcely had the company’s flag been unfurled when it was greeted by a rebel shell that caused the green volunteers to duck frantically, though the missile flew far over their heads. In time they would joke about this behavior and appreciate the errant paths of other misfired volleys.