Ark. Benton Co.

Sugar Creek Camp March 14, 1862 Dear Brother & Sister I rote you a fiew days a go onse since our last battle but as mail matter is vary unsertin I will write agane I hav writin to you or som one else in that visinity evry opertunity that I had of sending a letter Our trains have bin cut off both ways by the enemy So our maile was cut off two at least we don't git but little Well all is quiet in this part of Ark at present but how long it will remaine so is not for me to now or say The last account we had of Prise and his armey he was on the other side of the Boston Mountins 20 miles from hear making his way towarge Fort Smith as fast as his men could make their legs carry them Well I hardly now whear to comense or what to write as I have rote part of the pertickler conserning our fite And I have now doubt but you will reade long before this reashes you a better and a more corect account of affairs than I can give but what i saw with my one eys I now as well as any body and I hear a grate many things that I beleave to be true, I will tell you how our Batery is divided We have six gunes and a caison to each gun One Sergent to each gun who has comand of the gun one caison cald a Detachment two corpels, one sites the gun he is cald the guner I will give you the naimes of my men and if after this you shold se any account of our Batery or of the kild Corpel Wm Halstid R Black Gustavson a swead he was kild in the first attact by a canon ball and Wm . Seldin was wended by a pease of Shell and John Eastin, a driver wended all at the same time or nearly so in the first attact at the same time I had a ball to to Pass my side through my cantean but not tetching the flush Well the names Elit Fraisur AG Wiles T. Rease John Esckelson (?) Six Drivers Sam Everet H. Day, John Easton on the gun Sam Morison, Dusenbury Bathalemy on the caison D Halsted and AG Wiles was wended by a team running over them just as we was going Battle so I lost ther servis throu the hole Battle thay ar both well now I don't think was vary bad hurt at first but a good excuse to get out of a hard plaise My Driver let the team run a way that was hitch to caison turned short left brake off thi tong? left the caison on the feald neither a team to draw it off one chest blode? up by a canon ball passing throu it Well it was a hot plaise for a bout two hours I didn't have any ida the dangers position was was in tho, I didn't hardly expect to git out as well as we did for the canon balls musket and grape shot and peases of sheles was fling as thick as haile from two Bateries that stood on the hille but about fore hundear yards from us _ peases of our Battery only to meat thim the other two was movd on the rite and was vary pear being taken one man kild thay was the rite Section The Senter and left Sections to gether I was in the Senter the left soon left the fieald Rees Barens under Sergen Balinger in the Senter Section was kild a bout the first fiering he never uter a word he fell close by whear I stood Sergent Balinger soon had to take his peace out so I was left a lone and the ofisers all wounde and taken a way but Cournel Car siting on his horse with one hand shot earging me to ceape firing that we shold soon be releaved by a nether batery it came but left a gane before I got my gun out and a good reason for it for we? got a ganst a tree and colden get out

with out leaving our gun and we wold every man? dead? on the fieald before thay shold of got the gun Well we retreated back a bout halfe mile or more was rather whipt but the fiting was ceapt up all day after we? went back and rested a while we went at them a gane and ceape it up ti~l after dark then retreated Back to camp all hungery and weary Nothing to eat Sense the day before Nothing that nite but a little mush and a little meale for horses up the next Morning at 3 O'clock and started out to the Battle fieald tooke our Position waited til day lit about sun rise the firing commenst We was soon routed from our position but tooke a nother one with two other Baterys by our side and after a bout two hours firing The enemy comenst retreating We followe up for a mile The Rebbls run in evry direction throwing a way ther gunes Som braking them round the trease Thay had a grate many of our men prisners and in the excitement thay left them and eaven? after thay had gone two? miles thay left som and went on Our Men came on back and report well we? was well near whipt but victor is oures yet We ar hear waiting recrute a littl? and repaire our coreag (courage?) and get some reinforsements then go on it is reported that we got a bout 93 hundear ? of armes and a number of peases of artilery I haven't heard My helth is good Dave Engear is not well he wants to go home I must stop writing I dont now how long we will stay hear or whear we will go when we leave Write oftin Send me papers as oftin as you can we hardly ever see a newse paper Sent to to st. Louis to be forward to this Battery (inquiry forward)? My respects to all Wm Vanzant