DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

Transcribe
Translate

Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

05_1862-04-24 Page 05

two hours and a half in spite of their reinforcements officers and everything else  we could hear their Commanders once in awhile shouting to their men to forward boys forward but when they would jump up and make to wards us we would have such a fair view of that we could just mow them and they fall back into there old position which was a good one they were on lower ground than we were. they kept getting reinforcements until we were almost surrounded. general Sherman said we had done all that could be done and we would have to get out of there we done so what there was left of us  but we left agood many of our boys there. we were badly used up but the only wonder to me is that any of us got out of it. the balls flew so thick that I believe if I had swung my hat I could have caught it half full at one sweep they flew around us like bees swarming there never was so much noise but what we could hear them whizing and once in awhile they would whiz so close that I could feel their breath in my face but I didnt get a mark from them anywhere but there were several of the boys that got scratched there was a bomb shell burst right close in front of us alittle piece struck Ed. Weed on the rist but it didnt hurt him much  Ben Kimler got aball through his hat rim close to his head many others got scratched a little but as a general thing the balls over us although they shot very low there was close shooting done on both sides I never thought they did do such low shooting in battle from what I have

Saving...

two hours and a half in spite of their reinforcements officers and everything else we could hear their Commanders once in awhile shouting to their men to forward boys forward but when they would jump up and make to wards us we would have such a fair view of that we could just mow them and they fall back into there old position which was a good one they were on lower ground than we were. they kept getting reinforcements until we were almost surrounded. general Sherman said we had done all that could be done and we would have to get out of there we done so what there was left of us but we left agood many of our boys there. we were badly used up but the only wonder to me is that any of us got out of it. the balls flew so thick that I believe if I had swung my hat I could have caught it half full at one sweep they flew around us like bees swarming there never was so much noise but what we could hear them whizing and once in awhile they would whiz so close that I could feel their breath in my face but I didnt get a mark from them anywhere but there were several of the boys that got scratched there was a bomb shell burst right close in front of us alittle piece struck Ed. Weed on the rist but it didnt hurt him much Ben Kimler got aball through his hat rim close to his head many others got scratched a little but as a general thing the balls over us although they shot very low there was close shooting done on both sides I never thought they did do such low shooting in battle from what I have