The following letter was written by William H. Arndt (1844-1910), the son of Abraham S. Arndt (1821-1853) and Alvinah Winter (1823-1909) of Harmony, Warren county, New Jersey. William serged in Co. F, 2nd New Jersey Cavalry from 4 September 1863 to 1 November 1864, a total of 1 year, 2 months. He entered the service as a private and mustered out as a sergeant.

William wrote the letter to Caroline (Bareford) Alston of Springfield, Burlington county, New Jersey, the mother of his tent mate, Sgt. Thomas B. Alston (1842-1864). He wrote to inform her that Thomas had been shot in the hip during the fight at Egypt Station in Mississippi. In the battle, the 2nd New Jersey lost three officers killed and two wounded, and 16 enlisted men killed and 69 wounded. One officer and 39 men from the 2nd New Jersey were left at Egypt Station under the care of the regiment’s assistant surgeon because they were too badly hurt to be moved.

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Camp Kargé, Memphis, Tennessee
January 9th 1864

Mrs. Alston,

As a friend to your son Thomas I take the responsibility to write to you of a slight misfortunate that has befallen your son. The 20th of December we started on an expedition down in the State of Mississippi for the purpose of destroying railroads to hinder the operations of Hood’s army. We penetrated sown in the state along the line of the Charleston and Ohio Railroad to Egypt Station where we met the enemy to the number of 7 to 9 hundred and a battle ensued immediately.

We made three charges before we could make any impression upon their lines. In the third charge, just in the last of the fight and on the very moment of a gallant victory, your son received a ball in the side a little above the left hip, but thank God not so as to endanger his life. I helped him to a temporary hospital where there was a surgeon in attendance and saw him in bed when UI left him for a short time. I soon returned to him just as our regiment was leaving and asked him how he felt. He wasn’t in much pain and was in good spirits. He expressed a wish that I would address his friends and leave them know his condition and that they shouldn’t feel anyway bad about his misfortune for he would soon be with them again, well and hearty.

The ball that hit him passed through a tent and rubber blanket rolled on his saddle and also through the cantle of the saddle so you may judge that the wound is nothing serious. I have been a tent mate and friend of your son since the death of Curtis, your fellow townsman. I always valued him very highly as a friend and none can grieve his loss more than I.

This is four letters here for him which I shall keep in my possession until directions from you. As it was a raid that we was upon, we left your son behind with more than a hundred of our regiment, with a doctor to attend them. There is a flag of truce going from here with provision for them and if I can get any information from [them], I will forward it to you immediately.

Please excuse all blunders for any information as instructions as to his things, please address William H. Arndt, Corp in Co. F, 2nd New Jersey Cavalry