Excerpt of a letter from Robert Knox to his mother. Robert provides details of the fighting he has done and of his friends in camp. His comments on the lack of meat for Grant's soldiers is interesting considering how well supplied the Union Army usually was.

Camp 3 miles from Malvern Hill

Wednesday June 15th, 64

I am going to thank God for his goodness, kindness, and mercy to our family, still an unbroken family though James and myself have been exposed to death or wounds for these last three weeks, still preserved while others have fallen to rise no more. Our Reg't held a most exposed line at Cold Harbor as you will see by the papers, although not engaged in a pitched battle we lost more men in our division (Picketts)

When the troops actually injured in battle, we were subjected to an enfilading fire both from infantry and artillary and lost in our Reg't 12 men from cannon shots Our Major was wounded in the knee he was the only one in our Brigade who escaped at Drewery's Bluff. Now all 5 of the Majors have been either killed or wounded two have died and the other three are wounded.

Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center