Dear Parents and all at home:
Knowing that a thousand rumors are afloat in our country and that you are anxious to know about us I now take my pen in hand to give you a true statement of affairs. We have for a short season been cut off from each other by the Yankees and I have been very anxious to hear from home as I have not heard since I was at Abingdon. I was fearful that our communication would be cut off for some time but I am now informed that the way is now clear.

Well, I will now attempt to tell you of what I witnessed yesterday, though I necessarily fall short of giving you a minute picture of the scene. We had a very hard fight yesterday. Whorton's Brigade was in the hottest of the fight during the whole of the engagement. And most nobly did the General sustain his reputation as a brave man and general; he has ever been loved by his command, but his conduct yesterday will win for him their most ardent affections. Lieutenant Colonel Wolff, commanding our Regiment, behaved himself most nobly also. Major Younce and all our officers both field and company officers, acted a noble part. It would be doing a great injustice not to say that the men also acted their part as heroes and won for themselves and officers the praise of the Commanding Officer, General Breckenridge. I will now give you a list of the killed and wounded of our company, however none of  the company were killed dead. Sergeant William H. Thompson, mortally wounded in the left breast; Corporal William Asy. Lindamood, very severely in left leg just above the knee; Private Nathan L. Brown, leg shattered below the knee-his leg may have to be amputated; David Lindamood, supposed mortally in tack; Morgan T. Newman, flesh wound in both legs; John M. Myers, severely in groin, William Everet Miller, slightly in right thigh; John K. Jackson, slightly in head; Fleming Shelton, slightly in left knee; Robert McDonald, slightly in hand; James W. Chapman, in the back; John W. Crigger, very slightly in hand; F. H. Waddle, very slightly in arm, E. A. Neff, very slightly in wrist; Wiley Grubb, very slightly in breast. Some four or five others were touched but not hurt enough to be worth mentioning. We had 94 killed and wounded in our regiment; eight killed, 86 wounded.

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Captain Tate of Company B was killed; Captain Price of Company H, badly wounded. I only mention one more, Major Otey, who was badly wounded in the arm. The fight commenced at New Market about 10 o clock and lasted till dark closed the work. It rained the whole day and the mud was almost knee deep in some fields over which we charged and made it very disagreeable. Almost the whole fight was on open fields, you can form an idea of the ground if you think of the country about John King's only the valley is wider and more level. We took seven pieces of artillery and about 200 prisoners and most all our boys got oil cloths, overcoats and blankets, boots and so on. I got a splendid gum cloth. The Yankees could not stand a charge, as soon as we would raise the yell they would break. The Yankees loss in killed was 160, buried by our men. I do not know how many were wounded as they hauled them off when we did not push them too close. But a goodly number were left on some parts of the field. Their loss was very heavy. I forgot to tell you a grape passed through Lieutenant Jake Fisher's hat just grazing the skin. One inch lower would have killed him. I am writing on the train now. We are going to Richmond or to Lee's Army. We are now below Gordonsville. We got on the train at Staunton at ten o clock today. I hope you will not be uneasy about me because I am down here. God has ever taken care of me through dangers, toil and troubles and I feel safe in his hands and willing to trust him in the future. I desire an interest in the prayers of all at home and hope you will ever be mindful of me at a rich throne of grace. I can from my heart use that phrase in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Will Be Done." I have tried to feel willing to suffer whatever he sees fit in his wisdom to put upon me, I am resigned to his will. So if I should fall in battle you will not sorrow as those that have no hope.

Write immediately and direct as follows: 

Thomas W. Fisher
care Captain Umberger 
Company C
51st Virginia Infantry
Whorton s Brigade
Richmond, VA (Breckinridge Division)                                                                                           

Yours till death
Thomas W. Fisher                                   
 
 
 

COPYRIGHT© 1998 Dianne McGinley Gardner - All rights reserved.  Copies for personal use and research may be freely made.  Commercial use is prohibited without permission.