On the Battle Field Near Atlanta
July the 21 /64
Dear Charlotte
I am verry thankfull for this privilage once more. We had a hard fight yesterday. I wrote some yesterday and stated that we was mast. The third divition was on our left and the first on our right. Our divition joined on the third but there was a gap between our divition and the first caused by drunken officers in the first divition and the first we knew we was flanked by a force of rebs twice our number. It was in a peice of woods and we was on them before before we knew where their skirmerses was. They fired some tereble vollies and drove our brigade some but we were soone ralied and we drove them and ocupy the field. Our loses are heavy. There was I think 17 wounded and 8 or 9 killed out of our regt out of about 120 men. Part of our regt was on picket. There is plenty of dead rebs on the field. I think their losses were much heavier than ours. The prisoners say Hood was killed. He is in command of this army. Orderly Williams was mortely wounded. I dont think he can live. He was shot through the belly. We built breastworks all knight. Our men are buring our dead now. There was a woman come out with her husbmand in the 149th regt. She lost her companion yesterday. He was killed. They are buring him. She is mourning over his grave. She feeles verry bad. The 149th is from Sereieuse. We lost some good men yesterday. Some of our old boys that have alwais ben with us. I think there was six sergents killed and wounded in our regt. John Travis was wounded in the forehead. I think the rebs will soone have to dig out of Atlanta. If they dont they will be surrounded and captured. Hookers corps is in a verry importent position. They tried hard to break our lines yesterday. If they could drive us they could swing in the rear of McFersison and compell him to fall back. I think they will try our lines again before knight. There is quite a sharp skermishing on our right now. Dear Charlotte I have ben verry luckey so far. I dont see how so meney escape as there is to be put in the jaws of death as we was yesterday in no kind of line and then have the bullets fly like hail among us. But God directs every bullet. If a man was born to be killed in battle he will be and if not he wont. You must excuse this poor writing. I have writen it in a great hury. Good buy.
Chas Engle
I dont know weather I can send this to day or not. I hope this will find you all well.