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Forest Hill May 13th, 1864
My dearest Sister,
We are still I fear cut off
from communication with the outside
world but I will begin my letter [?]
soon to be able to send it. I reckon that you
are quite uneasy about your little sister
here in the midst of our yankee friends.
I assure you, altho I have been blessed
with the sight of them only as prisoners,
I have been no little excited by them.
Monday night we could plainly see the
flames from our burning stores from
Beaver Dam. Tuesday morning we were a-
wakened at five by [distant?] volleys of mus-
ketr, & about eleven more intensely exci-
ted by seeing our Maj Gen flying down
the road. Five or six came on, told us they had
been fighting ever since twelve the night
before, being only 200 strong had been obli
ged to fly & even then going to the [?[
to join their infantry & [?] there to make
a stand. That the yankees 1,000 strong
[?ing] 200 negros pressed into [?] by [?] [?] were only half an hour
behind them. Their loss had been great
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and all were much expected. After they
left we busied our selves in sending
stock of all kinds off & concealing our
valuables. Mr. S and the boys [?] off the [?]
& we took our stations in our rooms. Agnes
came up here with me momentarily ex
pecting the enemy but [?] mind to save
as much as possible. As the day passed on
however & they did not come we composed
ourselves & went to sewing. We did not hear
anything now [?] except that I think Lee
[?] pressing their rear (fighting there all day) until five when
half a day soldiers rode up, told us the Yan
kees had [?] off into the [?]
road about three miles below us & that our
troops were there passing by our [?] gate.
We hastened up each carrying buckets of water
with us and stood there handing water to
our dear wearied, dirty soldiers from that
tie until night. Often our water gave out
& the wearied servants could not bring it
fast enough so we carried the buckets
from the house (100 yds) ourselves, & once
I even went to the spring with one I was
simply repaid for any exertion by seeing
the eagerness with how they received it &
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their gratitude. We heard one say who
so could not fight & many blessings were
poured upon our heads. Poor fellows
they said they had then been fighting
for seven days & neither men nor horses
had had anything to eat since the
morning of the day previous. Gen Stuart
passed & stopped to tell the girls of the
safety of their cousin Frank,