33
            Letter from Edward Greatbatch.
Gaines Mill on the 27th, came near being
�gobbled� at Malvern Hill, where it held the
woods on the left for two days, and finally succeed-
ed in reaching Harrison�s landing, �pretty well used
up.�     It suffered again at Bull Run the 2nd;
but only looked on at Antietam, being in the re-
serve.    It has now about 300 men left of the 
925 with which it joined the Army of the Poto-
mac.      Received a letter from Edward Great-
batch, or Bristol, as he always signs himself, da-
ted Camp Montgomery, near Corinth, Miss.    It
is written in the lad�s usual artless, ill-spelt man-
ner and tells the story of his recent experience as a 
soldier.   His regiment was in the thickest of the
fight (on the third and fourth of this month) between
the rebel force headed by Price, Van Dorn, Villi-
pigue and Lovell, the union men being under command
of Rosencrans; the action ending in the �entire route�
of the former.     Of 300 of the 52 Illinois Volunteers
75 came out �casualties,� only 7 being severely woun-
ded, none killed.        Edward got a bullet sent into
his haversack.   His regiment joined in the pursuit,
�about 40 miles, towards Holly Springs� the way
being littered with baggage, wagons and caissons.
It �had a fight on the Hatchee River, which re-
sulted in the loss of many� (?Confederates.)  �The
battle here was fought on the outskirts of the
town, of which, at one time, the enemy had part