JONATHAN S BUNKER LETTER

Contributed by Jon D Topp PAGE 1          PAGE 2           PAGE 3            PAGE 4 Images of the letter are in PDF format

January 14 1862 Camp Lyon Birds Point Missouri   Dear Father   I seat myself to wright you a short letter to tell you how I am getting along.  Well I am only in tolerable health at this time.   I have been very unwell for some time but still keep up and about.   I hope when this comes to hand it will find all well.  Well father I send you ten dollars in this letter you may use it to the best advantage you can.  Well now I will tell you something about the fight that our boys has had on the night of the ninth of this month   There was thirteen hundred of the boys that went on a march to Charleston.  They started at 9 o’clock in the night.  I wasn’t able to go with them nether was Joseph able to go.  Well they took the cars at this plase and went within four miles of Charleston and got off and was aiming to get clear around the town and come in but as the night was very dark they was a little longer on the way than they would have been and their guide they think betrayed them.   they had to stop at one time while in the timber about one hour and at that time it is thought by a great many of them he was gon to the rebels as they wasent over one and a half miles and finaly they become tyred of wating and took up their line of march and got to the road and hadent went more than one and a half miles till they come onto the rebels.  There was about five hundred of them.   They was sow aranged as to give them a cross fire and about the time two companies had got past them they opened fire on them and killed five of our men and wounded ten.   Three of the killed was out of our company and two of the wounded.  The others all but two was out of company E   the others two was out of Co K and Co J.   one of our wounded died last sabath the other is getting along very well.  I now will give you all of their names that was killed and wounded out of our company.   Oliver T Lenin, John M Sarchett, Willis Cook.  Those are the names of the killed of our company.   The names of the wounded are John S Hodge, Malton D Evans.    evans was the one that died Sundy.  I don’t remember the name of the others.  Well on Friday night last there was four of our cavelry pickett killed and one since that time.  on friday night there was two killed at Fort holt right across the river from our camp in Kentucky.  well there is a big fight going of (off) at columbus at this time.  the troop are all gon from here but ours.  they are gon to columbus.  They are all gon From Fort Holt but about one regiment.  al sow from Caro.  they have been canonading all day down there.   we can hear them at our camp.  Well the weather is very coald at this time.  day before yesterday was the coldest day we have had this winter   There is some snow on the ground at this time   Well as it is getting late in the knight I will stop writing for this time by asking you to wright as soon as this comes to hand without fale.  Nomore at present   Jonathan S. Bunker To R .W. Bunker   Please give my respect to all and receive a share yourself   good by to you all but I hope not for ever. Good by for this time   onward to victory    long may it wave