Head Quarters 18th Reg,t 
[crossed out] [Cap] Camp Near Corinth Oct 13th /62 
Dear Wife 
Again I Sit down to write you a few lines 
to inform you of my where abouts and to let 
you know that I am in Tolerable good 
health at present; I wrote a few lines to 
you on the 9th while we was on the march 
but I did not have time or paper to write 
mutch of a letter; I Supose that you 
have heard in the papers Sometime ago 
about the Battle at Corinth on the 4th  
of this month or Rather the 3rd & 4th 
Well I will tell you Something about it; On the 
1st day of Oct our Reg was ordered out to a little 
Town called Charvalla Ten miles west of  
Corinth on the RailRoad; for the purpose of 
Guarding Some Bridges to prevent a 
Surprise by the Rebels as we was looking 
for an attack on Corinth by them, On the 
3rd day Our advance guards Consisting of 
Our Reg the 14th & 17th Wis and the 15th 
Michigan was Driven in by the whole 
Rebel force, our forces making an Occasional 
Stand and firing a few Volleys into them 
and again Retreat; about 2 Oclock our Reg 
had Retreated in to our Camp; they got 
a hasty dinner and again went out to  
Battle; by this time a considerable force of 
our men was coming out from Corint to help 
check the advance of the Rebels; Our Regt was 
this time Sent out to find the position of 
the Rebels but we was informed by Gen Mc 
Arthur that there was a Division of our men 
[crossed out] [illegible in original] between us and the Rebels. I do not know 
whether McArthur was mistaken or whether 
he told us So to keep us from being afraid 
So we marched up within fifty yards of 
the Rebels; (it being in thick woods) before 
our men Saw them, and that was with a heavy 
volley of Musketry in the midst of our Ranks 
which was instantly Returned by our men 
and then laid down flat on the ground and 
loaded and fired [crossed out] [illegible in original] as fast as they could for 
about ten minutes; when being overpowered 
Oct 14th 1862 
                                                     to				 
largely Superior numbers we had ^ fall back 
which was done quite Rapidly for about two 
hundred yards; it was in this fight that 
William Downie and Robt, Graham was 
wounded; Downie was Shot in the left Shoulder 
and Grahan in the Right neither of them con- 
Sidered dangerous; they will Both Start north 
tomorrow they will perhaps go home . 
The Next day the 4th we was not immediately 
[crossed out] [illegible in original] in the Engagement Our Division was 
Detailed to Support two forts we lay down 
on our faces and Seen part of the performance 
but the forts that we Suported kept the Rebels 
back without our assistance; but Balls 
whistled quite Rapidly over our heads; the 
Sound was anything but Musical; though none 
 of us was hurt; It was at the forts on our 
Right or Northwest part of Town that the 
Rebels made the most Desperate Charge 
Though Desperate it was but they were 
Repulsed at every attempt with with 
Heavy loss [crossed out] [es]; we was in Sight of one of our 
forts that the Rebels charged upon Three 
times and and took it Each time; but 
our Infantry Each time in turn Rallied 
and took it Back at the point of the 
Bayonet; So they did not have time to fire 
any of our cannon. I do not have any Idea 
how many was Killed and wounded on 
Either Side; The Rebels was laying dead 
thick over the ground where they charged 
upon our forts; Our Gunners loaded the 
Guns with Double charges of grape and 
canister which fairly mowed them down  
at Short Range the Opinion is that the 
Sesh lost five men to our one. I did not 
have a chance to pass over mutch of the 
Battle field after the fight as we Started 
after the Retreating Rebels the next morning 
before daylight we followed the Rebels three 
days we picked up quite a number of Straglers 
and [crossed out] [illegible in original] captured part of their Rear guard 
and and Nearly all their Trains and 
Artillery by the time we got to Ripley 45  
miles distant we had them So scattered that it 
was useless to follow them further     Thos.J.Davis 
L.M.Davis