Weekly Gazette
Elgin, Illinois
Oct. 15, 1862

From the 36th.

CAMP ON BATTLEFIELD, Oct. 10, 1862

DEAR PARENTS:-

Once more I am happy to inform you of George's and my welfare, and especially after the late hard fought battle, I am thankful and happy to say we came out all right.

I have a chance to send this by a citizen from Newark, and have time to write but little.

We left, Louisville Oct. 1st, and after seven days marching in a circuitous route we reached here last Tuesday night about 9 o'clock p.m., I mean the other side of the battle field, We went into camp, but were not allowed to strike a fire or talk loud, for we were close to the enemy; our company and company D were ordered out as skirmishers, advanced about a half mile and lid behind the fence till about 12 o'clock then we were ordered back and marched about a mile and a half north, where we laid down and slept an hour or two on the ground without blankets, when we were ordered up and in line; just at that time crack went the rifles among the skirmishers, which lasted a short time, but was kept up more or less all day. We maneuvered around all day till 3 o'clock p.m., when the order came in great haste that they were flanking us;p we fell back about eighty rods to a good position, and waited their movements but we had not long to wait before we saw them planting a battery on the hill nearby a mile in advance of us. It soon opened on us but to no purpose, their shots could not reach us; they then advanced a portion of cavalry to their right, and some infantry to the left, closing in, in front of us about fifty rods off. We were told they were coming and ordered to double column at half distance, ready to receive the cavalry , but at that time the artillery threw a shell amongst them and scattered them in all directions.

we were then ordered into line again, when the infantry on our side opened fire away at us; for three fourths of an hour it was a continual roar of musketry and cannon, and the balls flew thick and fast I tell you. Our regiment was then ordered back over the ridge of the hill, for we were on the side facing them and the battery on the ridge, to get a new supply of ammunition, and fell back under a galling fire in good order; at the same time General Mitchel's division came up to the right of us and fired into them, which drove them from the field in great haste.

We then saw that our men were being driven on the left, and the rebels charging after them, when our artillery was ordered to give them a cross fire, which checked their progress most dreadful quick I tell you. At this same time there were reinforcements sent to our men, Davis division having just come up. It was now after sundown, and our artillery played on them form three different points and the infantry still fighting them on the left. A more beautiful sight than this I never saw; we could see every flash of the cannons, and the red streak of the shell as it passed through the air with lightning velocity of the infantry guns; there is no use of my trying to describe it for I or anyone else cannot do justice to it. Well we of course began to enquire before this, who was wounded or killed; we soon learned that we had lost one killed and seven wounded. It was sorrowful thing to hear, but it could not be expected otherwise.

Patrick Gibbons was killed on the ground with a ball through the left breast; Albert Andrews wounded very bad, a ball through the lungs; not expected to live. Timothy Ring badly wounded, ball through the back, and one hit him some other place, I know not where; he is not expected to live, he is from Barrington, I believe. P. G. is from Dundee; A. A. is the son of the nurseryman north of Elgin. Patrick Brannan, from Dundee, is slightly wounded, Henry Howe, from Crystal Lake had his two fore fingers shot off. Thomas Stanton from Dundee slight wound in the arm; Alex Robinson a ___ slight wound in the arm, and brother George a slight bruise on the check don by a bayonet, shot off from a fellows gun who stood in front of him; there was a ball struck it and snapped it off and broke it in several pieces, one large one struck George,a and i looked to see if it had hurt him but was glad to see that it had not much; it is all right now. A few of the smaller pieces hit Alex Lynd, but done him no injury.

Our regiment lost in killed, 8, and wounded 57. 7 of our officers were wounded but not killed; the Col. had his horse shot under him.

Sanford Wakeman-- was detailed to stay at Louisville with six others of our company, so was not in the fight. Capt. S--man did nobly, and came out all right. The boys all did honor to themselves and 36th, too.

There were about three hundred killed and wounded laying within twenty rods of us and I tell you they are a gritty crowd. They say they will whip us and will fight to the last but what they will do it.

They say they have fell back about thirty miles and are there fortifying. Price, Breckenridge and Bragg are going to concentrate there and give us a hard fight, so they say- General Wallace is coming from Covington with a hundred thousand men, and I guess Grant will follow up Price. The old Col. says the 36th has won many honors in this battle, we were in the thickest of it.

LEROY SALISBURY