Emerson Fales, born October 11, 1834 lived in Thomaston Maine. He was a mason soldier of the 4th Me. He was the son of Samuel H., and Sylvanus C. He had a son named Albert S., born June 3, 1936. He also had a son named Cyrus V., born September 9, 1937. Cyrus died when he was nineteen years old. Fales was a strong-willed man who never lost hope throughout the raging war.
Emerson Fales Transcription
Camp of Maine 4th
Near Bottoms Bridge Eight
Miles from Richmond May 27, 1862
Friend Marietta
Camp of ME 4th
Near Bottoms Bridge Eight
miles from Richmond May 27, 1862
Friend Marietta,
Yours of the 19th inst was gladly rec’d and read, also a copy of Gleason’s Literary Companion for which I feel grateful and would be thankful for one as often as you can send without inconvenience to yourself. I really hope you did not read the whole of that letter to your companions, especially the first part.
Yes, the Rebs did leave Yorktown without showing much fight. It was realy provoking after we had shuffled and ditched and chopped and watched for a month and had got all ready to commence to pepper ‘em. But they did not get far before “Uncle Samuel” overhauled and stepped on their round heels. They left Saturday night and Sunday morning, the 4th Inst. after showing us all night. Saturday we worked in the trenches within one third of a mile of their principal fort, Magruder, while they peppered away at us all day with shot and shell, some of which struck and burst within a few feet of us. One burst over our heads and a piece weighing a pound struck the ground ten feet from Sam’s head as he lay on the ground. But as I was gwine to say, they went out Saturday night and we went in Sunday morning with colors flying. That night we camped on the ground. Next morning the booming of canon in the distance notified us that our advance had overtaken them.
We rolled up our blankets, strapped on our knapsacks, shouldered our rifles and started on. After marching about 12 miles in a drenching rain, we arrived at the scene of action at about 3 p.m. The 3rd and 4th Maine did not go right up in front but went around to the enemies ‘ right to prevent them from flanking us, which he was on the point of doing when we arrived.
After accomplishing this, which we did very handsomely, we went around to the front, where we arrived at about dark, where we stopped all night in a pelting rain without overcoats or blankets. On our way from the flank around to the front, we met scores wounded, dying and dead, being carried off on stretchers. Some slightly wounded were limping off but told us to go in and ?? their wounds. But when we got on to the field, sights that will hardly bear description met our eyes. Turn which way we would, nearly a dozen grim corpses lay before us, some without an arm, some without a leg and some without a head. Night coming on ended the fight. A little after daylight on Tuesday morn, we formed in a line of battle in the woods and marched out across the battlefield and barged on a fort, the principal one at Williamsburg. But when we got to it, just as we expected to have shower of shot and shell poured into us, we were agreeably disappointed by seeing the coat tails of the retreating foes, streaming in a horizontal line from their bodies, where their wearers were going their best to get a way canon, cattle and a great deal of which they had to leave. When they had to leave a wagon or a gun, they either burnt or cut the wheels to pieces and threw the ammunition into a mudpuddle.
But to go back to the fort, we went in and planted the stars and stripes on the parapet and soon after, our old star-spangled banner was seen waving from every fort on the line to the right and left. The flag of the 4th ME was the first that was planted on he enemies’ works that day. Our Cavalry and our artillery started in pursuit immediately. Our advance had a great deal of skirmishing with them but no regular battle for they made no stand until they got into Richmond. Our division, i.e. Kearney’s, stopped at Williamsburg two or three days during one of which we did patrol duty in the town. This town is one of the oldest in VA. It contains William and Mary’s College, the oldest in the US, excepting Harvard. The village is nearly as large as Thomaston and very pleasantly situated on a tributary to the James River. It contains two or three churches, a post office, telegraph office, about a dozen stores and the usual number of lawyers and doctors, one public house, which we used for Provost Marshal’s office, and a number of mechanic shops. Many of the buildings were filled with wounded and dead rebel soldiers.
The most of the male portion of the inhabitants were in the army, either voluntarily or conscription. A part of the female portion still remained, but the greater part had gone to Richmond. A part of those who remained seemed to be very attentive to the sick and wounded rebels but were the most bitter secessionists and looked, if at all, upon a Union soldier with scorn. As soon as we took possession, the blacks were set to work on the street, which was in a bad condition. Our army has been steadily pushing on, cutting new roads, building new bridges until the advance is now in about four miles of Richmond.
The siege of Richmond has commenced. We arrived here Sunday noon after a march of six miles, and went right to work felling trees and making rifle pits to guard against such a surprise as befell General Grant at Pittsburg last night, and this forenoon it has been raining right down. But now twelve ? it is clear and we have to go to work again after dinner.
So you see, we don’t get much time to write. Do you ever see Frank L? If so, give my respects. Last night the Coln formed us in a square and read some orders from General Mc at the same time saying that in all probability, there would be a battle today. We are ordered to carry nothing but haversack and canteen and 60 rounds of ammunition.
Excuse the haste of this and write soon to oblige.
Emerson
Sources:
Eaton, Cyrus. History of Thomaston, Rockland, and South Thomaston, Maine. Vol. II. Hallowell, 1865.
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