The following letter was written by Egbert Benson Buzby (1842-1932), the son of John V. Buzby and Elizabeth Bruner.

Egbert enlisted at Norristown on 14 August 1862 and was mustered in the following day as a corporal in Co. A, 138th Pennsylvania Infantry for a three year term. He was wounded on 6 May 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness but recovered and was appointed sergeant on 1 December 1864 and mustered out on 23 June 1865. At his enlistment, he gave his residence as Montgomery county and his occupation as “printer.” Indeed, in the 1860 US Census, “Egbert Busby” was enumerated in the household of printer, Robert Iredell, as one of the printer apprentices. Iredell was the proprietor of the Norristown Herald and Free Press.

Transcription

Camp Clifton Farm, Virginia
Tuesday, September 6th 1864

Dear Father,

I received yours of the 28th ult. last Friday evening and intended answering it right off net morning, but we got orders to move and move we did at daylight. It was quite an interesting letter. Was very sorry you had no more paper so you could have wrote me. I will try and tell you what has occurred to us since I last wrote.

The Sunday after I wrote to you we were startled while holding Sunday morning inspection by what appeared to us skirmishing, but it couldn’t be—it was so near. Aides were seen flying around and tents and camp equipage disappeared as if by magic. We soon got orders and in a few minutes were moving to our position. The 138th guarded the headquarters train to Halltown. We got back to our old position. Just as we had our arms stacked, a shell bursted over the regiment wounding a member of Co. E which was the only casualty in our regiment.

About 12 o’clock that night we fell back to Halltown and the range of hills lying between it and the Potomac—a distance of five miles. We threw up a complete line of rifle pits, I might say from the Potomac river on one side to the Shenandoah on the other. It is a splendid position. All we wanted was the rebs to attack us [but] they kept a good distance off. Our cavalry had several skirmishes. We laid there 6 or 7 days, [Gen. Jubal] Early, wanting to go into Maryland & Pennsylvania, but not liking to leave Sheridan in his rear, and still afraid to attack him (Sheridan). So Early left our front and we moved out to the old position we evacuated (here I wrote a letter home on Aug. 29) a mile or so outside of Charlestown.

The next day our cavalry [led by Merritt] kicked up a fuss at Smithfield, about 6 or 7 miles off, and were driven back to our infantry pickets. Our Division (3d) was ordered out in a hurry. We were soon ready and after traveling couple miles, we were placed in line of battle on the left of the pike, two regiments deployed as skirmishers which relieved the cavalry skirmishers who went on the right of the pike. The skirmish [line] was advanced supported by the remainder of the brigade, the first brigade following us. The skirmish line met no opposition until they were entering Smithfield where they had a slight skirmish. They drove them across the Opequan. The Division was taken back 2 or 3 miles and left there until last Friday afternoon when we were taken back to camp in a nice wood. We got orders to put our tents in regular order which we did. Two hours later we got orders to be ready to move at 4 o’clock in the morning. It was very provoking to us but we couldn’t better it any by grumbling so we kept our mouths shut and went to sleep.

In the morning the boys were sure we were going to leave the Valley and start for City Point but they were wrong. We came here to Clifton estate about four miles from Berryville. I believe the left of our line extends to the town. We are on the extreme right. We arrived here last Saturday afternoon without anything happening at all. The forces on our left had a fight near dark. It heard it very plainly but didn’t see it. You can read a better account of it in the newspapers than Madame Rumor has told me.

Sunday we put up a line of rifle pits or breastworks along the whole line. Nothing but cavalry skirmishing has occurred since Saturday. Yesterday and today has been very quiet. Mosby or somebody else has captured 40 ambulances but were re-captured so the report goes in camp. I don’t know what is going on or what we are going to do. We have to look to papers the same as you for the news in this Department.

We have had very rainy weather these last three days. It is very disagreeable. We are drawing three days rations and losing one day again. I haven’t had a letter from Mother since the 9th of August. The mail is going out right away. Your affectionate son, — Eg. B. Buzby

Write soon.