25 September 1862: “scarce do my thoughts wander to my loved ere they wander to my little teaze.”

Item description: Letter, dated 25 September 1862, from J. Smith DuShane (Pat), a sergeant in Company K of the 100th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, to his ‘beloved’; The letter describes how he was wounded at 2nd Bull Run on 29 Aug. 1862.

Item citation: From the J. Smith DuShane Letters #5198-z, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

Finley Hospital
25th Sept. 1862

My Dearest May,

God bless you dearest for your kind and encouraging letter, it came like a sunbeam to brighten my pathway. while reading it I forgot my wounds and pain and in thought I was again with my my little curly headed pet again. do you know darling that thoughts of the happy hours spent with you are the kindliest ones that come to cheer me in my hour of loneliness, why is this? what wierd enchantment is this with-which you surrounded me that scarce do my thoughts wander to my loved ere they wander to my little teaze. but I suppose that it is one of your mischiefous pranks so I’ll just grin and bear it.
I believe I have never told you of the fight in which I was wounded, it was on Friday Aug. 27th when we first went into the engagement at 9 o-clock we supported a batterry. The cannon are on a line and a few yards behind them the Infantry is in line to repel the enemy if they shoud try to take the cannon. in this place we remained for 3 ½ hours under a heavy fire of shot and shell, but fortunately we escaped with but a slight loss. it was during this time that my cousin Jesse was wounded. we we withdrawn and sent over toward the right of the line to assist Gen. Kearney who was trying to drive the rebels from a piece of woods. we drove them some distance to a railroad where we were met by an overwhelming force and driven back. it was while firing the last round that I was wounded. I got out of the woods safely and walked 2 ½ miles to the Hospital. that night I slept on the ground, the next night in an Ambulance and the next in a cattle car, and the next evening I arrived at this place. but I must close, my loving kiss dearest and good night
Yours
Pat

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