Civil War Letter George Bills 6th Vermont Vols, June 1862 Peninsula Battle

Description

Condition as seen.  Camp near Richmond June 8th,
Friend
Calvin, I received your letter of the 22nd last Sunday but I have not had time to answer it before we had a pretty lively time for two or three days for there was a very hard battle on the left of us yesterday.   There was some very heavy firing nearly all day the report is that our loss in killed from 500 to 1000 and the Rebels about five hundred.  Our men lost eleven pieces of artillery but got seven of them back again .  The Thermometer stands at 90 in the shade and one hundred and 10 in th sun.  Sunday morning we were called up at about half past five in the morning and I started with 60 rounds cartridges and three days rations to cross the river but when we got there it had rose so we could not go across so we are watching for it to go down what caused it to rise was a heavy shower Friday  night.  I never saw such Lightning or heard such thunder in Vermont.  You wanted to know what made me send that money, it was because I did not want it here.  You thought it was not good , it does not make any difference whether money is good or not it will go.  If you have any that will not pass send it to me and I will pass it on.  I sent Hublaire one dollar the same time but have not heard from him since Sunday. I sent him five gold dollars.  I see in the papers that there is to be another Regiment raised in Vermont.  I have not received any papers yet, Wheelers Battery was struck by Lightning killing one man and wounding fifteen.  Has the State
Treasurer
sent you any allotted pay yet?  Write again, George Bill.
Interesting discussion talking about counterfit money being useful to the soldiers on the Penninsula and that he can pass it around.  Also the Lighting strike on Wheeler's battery and the dead and wounded of the battles.  George would go on to Die in December of 1862.
George Bills
Residence Norwich VT;
Enlisted on 10/19/1861 as a Private.
On 10/31/1861 he mustered into "C" Co. VT 6th Infantry
He died of disease on 12/2/1862
Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:
- Roster of Vermont Volunteers During the War of the Rebellion 1861-66
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