Jones County Photos - Jones County, Iowa

Transcription

Battle of pea hill
March 15, 1862
Kind friends Mr. and Mrs. Harrison
and Family
    I take my pen in hand this evening to inform you that my health is good and I cincearly hope that these few lines may find you all enjoying the best of health you must excuse me for not writing to you sooner for I had not time nor postage stamps and I always did hate to have other men to pay my postage for me but I have writen for some and look for them every day and if I get them soon you may look for another letter from me if we are where I can send them out well I must tell you some thing about our great battle of pea hill we comenced fighting friday the 7th of march and fought untill dark and then lied down in the Brush to rest untill morn but the best of all was ben put his old drum in the wagon and borrowed a gun and came to us to help us shoot but as luck would have it we had no shooting to do that day but we followed up the rest of the soldrey and hollowed hurrah untill the enemy run for life and we found flour and guns and blankets and lots of other things I wish that you could have seen the battle ground after the battle was over it was full of dead horses pigs cattle and men all kinds both union and cesech but the worst of all the ceseah strpied the cloth of our dead you had better belive that mad me made I could have burned price with his whowl force if they were but piled up and well greesed well I must close seeing it is geting late
    frome your friend A. B. Crow
    to Mr and mrs harrison and family

© transcribed by Majorie Nemitz

Edited Transcription

Battle of Pea Hill
March 15, 1862
Kind friends Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and family,
    I take my pen in hand this evening to inform you that my health is good and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you all enjoying the best of health. You must excuse me for not writing to you sooner, for I had not time nor postage stamps and I always did hate to have other men to pay my postage for me, but I have writen for some and look for them every day and if I get them soon you may look for another letter from me if we are where I can send them out.
    Well, I must tell you something about our great battle of Pea Hill. We commenced fighting Friday the 7th of March and fought until dark and then lied down in the brush to rest untill morn. But, the best of all was Ben put his old drum in the wagon and borrowed a gun and came to us to help us shoot. But as luck would have it, we had no shooting to do that day, but we followed up the rest of the soldiery and hollowed "hurrah" until the enemy run for life and we found flour and guns and blankets and lots of other things.
    I wish that you could have seen the battle ground after the battle was over. It was full of dead horses, pigs, cattle and men�all kinds, both union and secess. But the worst of all the secess striped the clothes of our dead. You had better believe that made me mad. I could have burned Price with his whole force if they were but piled up and well-greased. Well, I must close seeing it is geting late.
    From your friend A. B. Crow
    to Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and family

© edited by Richard Harrison

Photos and Postcards

Û Letter from Aquilla Crow

March 15, 1862