A New Hampshire Soldier Writes Ten Days After Fighting In Antietam: “We Lost Some Seventy Five Killed And Wounded Most Of Them Shot Hands And Legs… I Laid Flat Down On The Ground And Had A Piece Of A Breast”

(ANTIETAM). The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862 in western Maryland, left 23,000 Americans dead and saw a Confederate defeat. ALS. 3pg. 5 ½” x 7”. September 28th, 1862. Antitem Crick [sic]. An autograph letter signed “Francis H Dexter” of Company H of the Ninth Regiment of New Hampshire Infantry. He wrote to his siblings (his spelling errors have been corrected in this transcription): “I take this opportunity to write to let you know that I am well and I hope you are the same. I received your letter the 20 and was very happy to hear from you and should been more so if your letter been longer but I will excuse you this time. We are again to stop eight or ten days to drill. I have just come from Church you will find the text in the 12 Corinthians 13 verse. We are in 8 miles of Harpers Ferry, were about 100 miles from Washington the mail come into camp once a week. We was in the battle on blue ridge we lost nineteen in killed and wounded and 8 missing and the other battle was at Antietam crick we lost some seventy five killed and wounded most of them shot hands and legs Frank…had two of his fingers shot off and is in the hospital at Middletown. I can’t write any more this time I guess you won’t blame me for not writing any more if you knew the precision that I write this in well I will tell you I laid flat down on the ground and had a piece of a breast about as big as my hand you must excuse all mistakes…Francis H. Dexter Co H 9 Regt NH”. Dexter first mentions the Battle of South Mountain, a clash between Union and Confederate forces on September 14, and then describes Antietam. The letter has mailing folds and light soiling and is in very good condition.