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February 9th, 1863
Camp 55th Va. Reg't. near Hagerstown, MD
Dear Sister,
You will probably be surprised when you hear
that our army has been into Maryland and penetrated
Pennsylvania as far as Gettysburg where we had
one of the bloodiest fights of the war attacking
the enemy on last Wednesday morning on the
plains before Gettysburg he was driven back with
a lost of twelve thousand men and returned
to a position on the height beyond the town where he
remained all day Thursday skirmishing and fighting
slightly. On [Friday?] our men were in fine spirits
once many [?] the [?] which they knew must
come off on that day before Lee had said those heights
must be taken and about twelve we commenced
in the center with one hundred and five pieces
of artillery at one time which you know must
have been terrible. Our infantry then charged them incess-
antly until night but failed to carry the works.