Camp at Catlett's Station, Va.  Aug. 6th, 1863

My dear Mary,
	I have a good, kind cousin away off in the city of Brooklyn who often
remembers a soldier in the Army of the Potomac.  Mary you think I am not a very
good correspondent, don't you.  I know I am not, and I shall not advertise
that I am.  I will not promise to punctually answer every one of the letters
my friends may write me, for if I do, I know that I shall not perform.  How
can I?  You read in the papers of our marching, of our watching, and sometimes
of our fighting.  Still you have no adequate conception of the toils and
fatigues we endured in our late campaign.  I could not write it in stronger
language than you have already read in the papers.  I know human strength
could not endure more than we have undergone.  As you already know, we had
all kinds of weather, rain and sunshine, mud & dust, and we suffered hunger and
privation.  We are proud of doing as well as we have done and have no complaints
to make.  We glory in the fact that we are a part of the "Victorious Army of
the Potomac".  All my sanguine expectations have been verified;  the sun never
shone on better soldiers than those who today are under Genl Mead.

	I should have been glad, my dear Mary to have written you immediately
after the battle of Gettysburg, and have given you a detailed account of what
I there saw, and want of time alone prevented me.  I will now only say I was
present at nearly all the fighting of the 1st, 2nd & 3d days of July, and saw
all the horrors and carnage of war that I desire ever to see.  All my curiosity
to view a battle and a battlefield is more than satisfied.  The position of
our Rgt during the battles, was on the left center of our line, in plain sight
of the village of G. and almost up to the village; in front, and stretching
to the right and left, was the open field where the Rebs were repulsed with
such terrible slaughter on the 3d.  I had many narrow escapes, though was only
hit once, and then by a spent ball.  Fortunately it struck me on the thick sole
of my shoe, as I was sitting down, with one leg doubled under me, had it hit
me in any other place it could not have failed of inflicting a severe wound.
As it was it struck where I was (not I am) Leather clad.  I had, just before
starting from Stafford CH, a pair of heavy tops put on my shoes, and they were
nearly as impenetrable as I am.  The ball came with force enough to somewhat
flatten it, and for a few minutes it benumbed my foot.  I consider myself
indeed fortunate in getting off so easily, for of 45 men in our Co. who went
into the fight 13 were killed and wounded, and five others were slightly hit.
Our Capt with a piece of shell passing between his arm and body, so close to
him that it tore the sleeve and the side of the coat, and gave him a smart
blow both on the arm and side.

	I really hope our papers at home will not find fault with Mead because
he did not capture Lee and his entire Army.  We in the Army know that the
utmost exertion was made to accomplish that great object.  We failed because
we had not men enough.  There never was a time when we had only barely
sufficient men to fight Lee with; at the battle of Gettysburg we fought Lee
with thirty thousand less than he had, and after the battle the reinforcements
so much talked of did not appear in any place where I saw them.

	We are now promised a rest for a while, as our Corps is detailed to
guard the Orange & Alexandria Rail Road.  So while we are staying here we shall
have no fighting to do.  We expect to stay here all summer and perhaps longer,
for as long as the supplies for the whole Army have to pass over this RRd it
is just as necessary to have it well guarded as it is to have an army to the
front.

	I am expecting now every day that my commission will be along.  My
recommendation went to Albany long ago, and now that the Gov of N.Y. has put
down the Rebellion at home, I hope he will attend to other matters.  Our
Lieut. Col. & Adjt. have gone to N.Y. for conscripts, and are going to Albany
to see to our Regimental affairs.

	Jimmie says you owe him a letter, is it so?  You must write him when
you will be at home.  I see I am writing you on dirty paper, but it is the
best I can do.  We have now the nicest Camp we have been in since we came to
Va., but the weather is awful hot.  Strange as it may appear, I am well and
tough.  I have not seen a sick day since I left Stafford C. H.  I stand
campaigning first rate.  Mary, have you ever seen or heard a piece of music
called "Bully for you"!  The 33d Mass. Band play it.  It is a nice little
thing.  You shall have the Photograph when the time comes.

					Yours as ever,
						Cousin Harry