Two Immigrants for the Union.' Their Civil War Letters - Norwegian ...

Lars and Knud Dokken
battle all that day and far into the night. The next morning
we started in again as fast as we could. Our division
and several of our troops were held back as reserves.
About 3 p.m. our brigade and division began to drive
forward and we fought as hard as we could. We attacked
the enemy's right wing and the 2nd Minnesota Battery
began to fire upon them. The enemy fired back. We were
ordered to lie low in a small depression, and so the hullets
from both sides flew over us. This went on for an
hour. Then the Rebels began a fast retreat, with us in
pursuit. We took 150 prisoners, Il ammunition wagons,
with powder and hullets for cannon - all taken by aur
brigade from the right wing of the enemy line.
In the central and left wings the battle was fierce that
day, but our troops drove the enemy back. They retreated
as fast as they could, and as soon as it became
dark, everything was still. At 3 a.m. we were roused and
assembled in fighting lines and marched forward. But
we saw nothing of the enemy. When we found that they
had moved away from there, we were ordered back to
our camp, where we are now. It is near a Confederate
hospital. There are many Rebels wounded and dead.
Today, October 10, our men are burying the Re bel dead.
Many are lying in the nearby woods and it is a gruesome
sight to see. We have not heard exactly how many are
dead and wounded on our side, but they say many have
fallen on both sides. Our regiment escaped unscathed.
We must thank God whose hand was over us and protected
us from the hullets. It is terrible to see so many
dead and wounded.
However, they say the enemy is not more than ten
miles from here and we stand ready any minute to go
after them. I cannot tell you more than that. . . . Our
regiment has decreased greatly in size. In our company
there are only 39 men left. Many are sick and have been
left behind here and there, same in every town we have
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