Unknown to Unknown

Camp of the 27th Ills Three Miles

South of

Murfreesboro

Tenn

January 9th 1863

Dear Father and Mother

once more with Pleasure I take my pen in hand to drop a few lines to let you know that We are al Right Side Up with cair yet that is my Self and John and Truly hope these few Lines will find you al Enjoying the same Blessing

I suppose I was the sole Reprisentive in the late Bloody Engagement of our Patriotic Family al though the 85th may have had some skermishing I have not heard Whether they did or not But our Brigade was in the front During the Entire Engagement and Suffered heavily - for five days your humble Son Played his Part in the Fearful Dramma and came out of it with a Whole Head and Whole Skin al though I was struck severel times with spent Balls and Peices of shell - I Wil now give you some what a Detail of the Affair on the Day after Christmas or rather morning at three o clock we received

Marching orders with five Days Rations accordingly at sun rise we started for Nolinsville distance fifteen miles whair it was said the Rebels had a strong force under Hardee We had gone but four or five miles when we run on the Enemy Ported across a Creek the Bridge was Burned our Regt was in the advance We waded the Creek and drove the Enemy from his position they having Retreated Back to Nolinsville our Division pushed forward but Jeff. C. Davises Division had gon a diferent Road and Reached Nolinsville at Noon Directly after We routed the enemy at the Creek We heard the Canon a head and pushed foward as fast as We could about Noon it Began to Rain very hard and Wet us al to the skin - We reached Nolinsville at Sun Set the Fight was Stil going on But our Division reinforced Davises and the Rebels fel Back after loosing one Battery and geting Nisely Whiped so Ended the first Day - that night the 27th Was on Picket Guard We stood on top of a Mountain Within a mile of the Rebel Camp it Rained in Torrents al Night We was tired and hungry and had no fires and nothing to Eat but hard crackers and raw Bacon the Weather Was quite cold and for my part I durned near froze

the next Day We marched about ten miles Bushwhacking with with the Enemy and Shelling the Woods as We Went the Rain comeing Down in Torrents that Night We camped in a nice place it quit raining and We built fires made coffy dried our cloths and Blankets and slept a little the Next Day Was Sunday and We lazed in camp al Day - the Next Morning the Enemy had fallen back to Murfreesboro and We Went a cross to the Murfreesboro Pike distance twelve miles We made the trip to the Pike and to four miles North of Murfreesboro by seven o clock that Night whair We lay on our Arms without Fire at mid Night it comenst Raining like Blazes the Next Morning We started foward a gain but had not gon more than a mile When We run on the Enemy in strong force our Brigade was in front Skirmishers Was Imeaditly thrown out and We took a Position in lign of Battle - the Skirmishing Was very heavy al Day With some heavy Fighting on our Right However We held our position al Day at Night We fel Back about a quarter and Laid on our Arms al Night - in the mean time We had lost al our Rations acept What We had in our Haversacks and by that time it had run out and the Boys Was ofering twenty five cent a peace for hard

Crackers that Night We killed some Beeves and had for supper and Breakfast fresh Beef With no Salt on the Eventful morning Dec 31st We Was in lign of Battle Before Daylight and Skirmishing Comenst - you Wil bear in mind We are in Sheridans Division Jeff C. Davises Was next on our Right and General Jonsons on the Right of that making Jonsons Division the Extreme Right of the Army Jonson suffered him self to be surprised at Daylight the Enemy made a Dash on him and found his men part of them a sleep his Artilery Horses off geting Watered - the surprise was complete and another [illegible] force Was [Enacted?] over a [illegible] the Enemy captured al of Jonsons Artilery killed and captured haff his men the rest scatered to the four Winds of Heaven - of course then our Right flank was turned the Enemy pushed his forces foward they came on Davises Division on the Right and in front our men gave Way Regiment at a time but they was forced Back they then come down on our Division like a Thousand of Brick We al layed flat down and let the Enemy come Within three hundred yards Whair they planted thair Batterys and opened on us our Division had two Batterys they Ware in Position and opened on the Rebels We ware in front of our Artilery and the