This incredible letter was penned by Samuel Bush who in late August 1862, at the advanced age of 41, enlisted at Ellington, Chautauqua county, New York, to serve three years as a private in Co. K, 112th New York Infantry. Samuel was killed by a Rebel sharpshooter while in the entrenchments in front of Petersburg on June 26,1864 — just six days after this letter was written. His remains were buried on the field.
Samuel was the son of Horatio Bush and Rhoda Livermore of Sangerfield. The son of a farmer, Samuel pursued an education. He attended the Oxford Academy in Oneida county in the 1840s and after graduating, he earned his living as a district school teacher.
In this letter Samuel writes his niece that a merciful God had protected him on the first day’s attack at Cold Harbor on June 1, 1864 and again in the first assault at Petersburg. He cites the 23rd Psalm as his inspiration for giving him the courage to stare down the mouth of the cannon — to not falter or fail his comrades.
This letter is one of thousands of letters transcribed by William Griffing as part of his online repository of Civil War letters, Shared & Spared. For more of the compelling letters he makes available to read, visit the Spared & Shared Facebook page.
In front of Bermuda Hundred
June 20th, 1864
My Dear Niece,
Your very acceptable letter of June 6th came duly to hand day before yesterday. I am much obliged for the copy of Mr. Olney’s letter accompanying it. I suppose you have already heard from me up to the time of our going to Petersburg. It seems that Providence was on our side that day. That so small a force should charge upon and capture such a line of works and so much artillery seems almost incredible. Two companies of the 117th new York Vols. in a skirmish line charged upon and took one fort with five guns (one of them disabled) after the sharp shooters had got in reach of the gunners and the artillery had range of them. In other parts of the line the Negroes performed the same feats with about equal success while Hancock’s Corps on the extreme left took possession of the railroad and advanced upon their lines in that direction. This was because they were taken by surprise at the way Grant has of doing business.
We perform extraordinary labor and fatigue, marching to avoid severe fighting and sometimes succeed in making a strike before the enemy get ready for us. In doing this there was a great saving of life (it is reported). Gen. Grant himself says that it would have cost five thousand men to take the same heights if we had waited a day or two for it. But such operations are the expense of excessive fatigue to the men. You will find in the Army and Navy Journal of June 11th a correct account of the battle of the first of June in which we (the 18th Corps) took a part. You will learn from that something of the fatigued condition in which we were when the charge was ordered, but [if] it was half a day earlier, it would not have cost us half so many men.
The march to Petersburg seemed hard but I am satisfied now I see the results. On the day previous we had landed from a boat, marched into camp and drew our rations, and were hoping for a little rest after our fatiguing duties on the Chickahominy and Pumunky. But we had scarcely begun to get a little quiet for a [good] night’s sleep before an order came for each man to fill his canteen so as to be ready for a march at any minute. By the time I had got my canteen filled, an order came to wake the cooks at 1 and the men at 2 so as to be ready for march. We were all called at 1 A. M., got the rest of our rations & breakfast, & just at daybreak were on the march & before sunrise were fairly across the Appomattox on the road to Petersburg.
We learned at the pontoon bridge that forces had been crossing all night. This early start secured us a cheap victory. We remained in front of Petersburg two days and nights. One day we were called to go forward to support a line of battle that was advancing on the enemy’s works in front of us. We went through the first cornfield on the double quick, got a little confused, halted, and moved forward again and crossed a tangled thicket & gully and expected to have to charge on the works in our front, but after lying on our arms & hearing the firing over our heads for an hour or so were ordered back into camp. On Friday the 17th we were ordered back and the 6th Army Corps took the place of the 18th. We had hardly got to the rear of the 6th Corps about two miles on our way, when we heard heavy cannonading and musketry in the vicinity that we had left. The papers will give you the account of the desperate charge made by the rebs & what I write shows how near we came to being in it.
I feel in regard to myself that words of the poet, “Thus far the Lord has led me on” &c. is quite appropriate. Although I have heard the bullets whistle around me often, none of them have yet hit me nor have the shells that have burst nearly over my head done me any harm. Once on the day after the great fight of the 1st of June, a grape shot struck the tree I stood behind & a few minutes after a man had a ball go through his arm by another close by. I was in the ditch awhile and one of my company was shot through the hand in the same ditch. One man was between me and our 2nd Lieutenant when he was shot in the shoulder. And at Petersburg Heights, a piece of shell or grape whistled by my head so near that the man next me thought it passed between us. A group of three or four stood together and a bullet passed through the blouse of one of them. I was one of the four. I have often opened my bible to the 23rd Psalm and hopefully applied the language to myself although unworthy to receive so great a blessing.
But to the news. Yesterday we moved from the rear to this place. Just before we started a part of the 13th Indiana Regiment ¹ whose time is now expired were formed in line with their officers and marched past the other regiments of the brigade and received three cheers from their comrades in arms. Our regiment has been brigaded with them ever since we were at Suffolk and had formed quite an attachment for them. It is pleasing to know that although the duties of the army are now great, yet the government can afford to discharge men when their term of service expires & it is to be hoped that when about a year and three months hence our regiment will have served out its three years, there will be less need of such mighty hosts marshaled in battle array as there is now. But I must close to be in time for the mail.
Your Uncle, — Samuel Bush
Write often. Mails come here regularly. Direct to Co. & Reg. & they will come to me.
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