Warrenton Junction Va.
				Tuesday. May 5th.1863

     To Our Folks..
		      When I was leaving home
the last time I promised you I would write
home every week. I believe that thus far
                   ly
I have strict^fully fulfilled this promise. and
as we stay in no one place any great length of
time I often see or find some little item which
I consider worth noting.. We are now between
nine and ten miles from Bristow Station and at
the junction of a road leading to Warrenton with
the O and A road. There is no village here. nothing
but the usual number of buildings found on
a moderately sized plantation. The family
mansion still stands and is a story and a half
house of about [30? 80?] X 50 feet in size and has
been used as a telegraph office for some time.
It is about 12 miles from Warrenton
and is situated a fine country in fact we have
seen but very little poor country since coming
in to Prince William County  We moved here
yesterday morning and were sent on a scout in
the afternoon and then put on picket duty
all night

     This place was on Sunday morning the
scene of quite a sharp little skirmish between Major
Moseby and the 1st Va Cav. 1st Vt Vcav. and the 5th N.Y. Cav.
which from the time of the first shot lasted about
twenty minutes.. While the reserve of about 40 of the 1st
Va were in a state of the greatest confusion. horses un
saddled and unbridled and a part of the men were
asleep. Moseby with about 150 men dashed in upon
them and captured all of them after a skirmish
of about ten minutes.. The 5th New York were
camped about 50 rods from here in a piece of woods 
and were in the same state of insecurity but 
in 5 minutes from the time the first shot was
fired they were in line: and immediately charged
down upon them. By the time they arrived on the
ground they had got the prisoners about 20 
rods from the house disarmed. dismounted
and trying to force them off. They did not perceive
the 5th until nearly on them and on receiving
the charge broke and ran to the four winds leaving
behind them all but three men of the prisoners
and about 30 of their own men wounded.. One
of the 1st Va was Killed outright and one of Mosebys
men. a texan and Known as Moseby's spy. He bore
papers on his person showing that he had been in
Washington but a few days before. and passes
from officers of both armies besides about [$75?]
Confederate scrip.. He was shot through the 

heart by one of the 5th New York cav. whom he
had just ordered to surrender.. Moseby was compelled
to fly at his best speed to save himself as he is get
ting pretty well known by these regts and they would 
be very happy to become the possesors of his body dead
or alive.. It is thought he was wounded in the
arm or shoulder as his sabre was picked up on the
ground and [illegible in original] by some of the prisoners..
   Of the Union men Major Steele of the 1st Va was
seriously wounded, one Capt one Lieut and 12 men.
which together with 35 of the rebs Killed. wounded
and prisoners. shows pretty sharp work for the time
occupied.    We heard the firing in our camp at
Bristow and caught several horses which broke away
and ran down as far as that.. About noon Capt
Walker, myself and 9 others came up here reaching
here about 3 O/clock P.M. and then I saw the
first secesh soldiers and wounded men I ever
saw.   They were a hard looking set and some were
wouded very badly.. One [a?] Capt was wounded in the
face another known as Dick Moran or Major was
                                                                     lead
shot through the windpipe.  He it was who made
the charge on the 1st Vt Cav. some time ago near
Drainesville. It is thought he can not live
The dead man of the 1st Va was buried but the
spy still lay unburied near the house. He is
now buried near here. The prisoners and wounded
of both parties were taken away by a train of cars

that night. A Lieut of Moseby's men was
taken prisoner Sunday night and was still in
camp when we arrived yesterday. Some of the
men were quite fine looking fellows. but they
had no regularity of uniforms being clad in
everything they could find.. Some ten or fifteen
horses were Killed and they all lay in sight as
I write. The house is full of ball holes and
on the walls inside is the following inscription
“Sunday May 3rd 1863.. Major Moseby charged on the
1st Va cav.. He came in like h – l and went out
like damnation.”  Last night our companie
made a scout a few miles towards Warrenton
and saw a body of rebel cavalry who did not
chose to meet us but skedaddled to the woods on
double quick. While on picket two men on
foot were seen prowling around near our pickets
and were fired upon by one of our men. They were
on foot and each armed with a gun of some sort
probably shot guns as they are the only ones
we have seen in Virginia.  We have heard firing
every day since Hooker crossed the Rappahannock
and last night we heard heavy cannonading between
12 and 2 Oclock towards Falmouth.. It was reported
that Hooker had flanked them on both sides in
crossing the river and we are anxiously waiting to
hear the result of the fighting for the past week.