August 10, 1862
For Advocate and Press
Bellevue Hospital, New York
Dear Father;----
I received yours of the 8th, was pleased to hear that you are all in good
health. I will try to give you a sketch of my
trials whilst a prisoner. I was wounded in the
battle of Charles City road on the 30th of June. We had been fighting for some time in the open
field, when the rebels came out of the woods that skirted the field and charged on our
battery. Our men fell back; I wanted to empty my gun before I would go. I did so and was loading as I fell back. When I had powder and ball in, and was reaching for
my ramrod, a ball struck my right hand and passed through my left thigh. My leg felt numb.
I sank to the ground, lay there and pressed my thigh with both hands for some time. Oh,
But the balls did whistle around me! I then
crawled some ten yards, and found I could walk. I went into a piece of woods. Shortly
after some of our men came up and took me to a hospital.
I lay there about eight hours. I was then taken to a house some two miles distant,
and there my wounds were dressed. I remained
there eight days. The next day after my wounds
were dressed, our nurse looked out of the window and said: “there they come.” Shortly thereafter an officer came in, revolver in
hand, and asked if we were all wounded. We
answered in the affirmative. He then inquired
if we had any arms. We said we had none. Then
turning to the nurse he said “take good care of these men.” The next day he came with 55 lbs of hard bread for
us. The eighth day we were all ordered to
prepare for Richmond. A new york omnibus, driven by two Negroes and drawn by eight mules, came
for us. The ordnance office who took us in was a very clever man. We raised him $15, and
he bought us some bread in Richmond. I was put into the
basement of the old “Tobacco Warehouse”. Oh, but it was hot! The lice and
maggots were crawling thick there. Three or
four men were dying daily around me. We had no
water to drink but that out of the canal. Sometimes
the nurse would go to the spring and bring us some good water. We had two meals a day, consisting of a small piece
of beef, no salt, and a little bread. I tell you it was hard living. We all got the
diarrhea. The rebels brought us little pies, worth five cents at home, for which they
charged us forty cents and not fit to eat at that.
I was released on the 19th of July, and arrived in New York on the 23rd. When I went on board the vessel, they took all my
clothing and threw it in the water. We then got citizen’s dress. We have good beds.
We are well treated here. My hand is healed up but my leg pains me a great deal yet; last
night I did not sleep a wink. I keep my foot in cold water for the greater part of the
time.
I had no medical attendance while in Richmond. I applied cold
water to my wounds.
There are some very nice men amongst the rebels, and some very bad ones. They all treated me as well as can be expected. I saw or heard nothing of James P. Sheibley. I do not think
I shall get home, as I will return to my post as soon as I am able to do so.
Affectionately your son,
William A. Graham
To Wm J. Graham, Landisburg.
