The following letter was written by David H. Shepard (1836-1864) who was mustered into Co. A (the “Horseheads Company”), 179th New York Infantry on 5 April 1864. At the time of his entry into the service, he was described a 5 ft. 4 in. tall, blue-eyed, light haired 28 year-old farmer. According to his muster roll records, David was wounded in the Battle of the Crater on 30 July 1864 and died of his wounds on 14 November 1864 while on furlough from St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, New York. David was the son of Miles Shepard (1812-1883) and Maria Underwood (1816-1876) of Van Etten, Chemung county, New York.

As documented in his letter, the 179th New York Infantry was among the first regiments deployed by Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie into the crater following the mine explosion in the early hours of July 30, 1864. They were preceded solely by the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery and the 14th New York Artillery. The 3rd line of battle consisted of four companies from the 3rd Maryland and seven companies from the 79th New York, all part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division. It was nearly three hours after the mine explosion before Ledlie ordered in the Black USCT soldiers of the 4th Division, and when their efforts proved as unsuccessful as those of the previous white soldiers, they were unjustly designated as scapegoats for the failed assault. After action investigations of the battle subsequently laid the blame more properly on the Union commanders.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

City Point
July 31, 1864

Dear Father and mother,

By the grace of God I am yet alive and well with the exception of a little mark I got the 29th, but I thought my time was close at hand. But God see fit to spare my life for some reason unless it was because I asked Him to spare my life. We had a very hard fight. We fight for [our] life. We blowed up their fort and took their breastworks. We thought we had the Johnnies in our hands. Then the niggers was going to make charge. They charged but they let the rebs drive them back to us. We drove them back again. They made another charge but they came back again. We was in the rebs breastworks [when] the niggers jump onto us so we could not fight and they would not fight. I know that to be so. So we had to retreat.

They took a good many of our men. A good many of my regiment was taken but I made my escape. I expect[ed] to be shot when [I] climbed over the breastworks but I did not. I took my heels down across the lot. I expected to fall [with] every step. I seen the boys fall on every side of me, sure enough I did. I never expected to raise my head again. I don’t know how long I laid there but I don’t think I laid there long [before] I came to myself again. I thought I would try my luck again. They didn’t put only three holes through my old cap. There didn’t only one ball strike my head but I wagged along till I got to the wagon. They loaded me in and took me to the hospital but it was a long time before they got my wound dressed.

I stayed there till the next day. Then they took me to City Point. I am where they take good care of me. I have a good bed to sleep and enough to eat. I think I shall be to the regiment in a little while if nothing happens to me.

I shall have to bring my letter to a close. I have not received no letter from you in four weeks. I got a letter from Jim Fish. So goodbye. — D. H. Shepard