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Following is a letter written by B. R. Kinney, Co. D,  14th North Carolina, following the battle of Gettysburg. Kinney was killed at Spotsylvania Courthouse, 12 May 1864.

It is transcribed from a copy at the Davidson County Historical Museum, Lexington, NC, and is copied here as transcribed, without corrections for spelling or punctuation.

Camp near Bunkers Hill

July the 18th 1863

Mr. W. H. Badget

Sir,

I am happy to embrace the opportunity of informing you this morning that I am in tolerable health considering the long march we have taken in to pennsylvania and am now near Bunkers Hill. As you will learn or may have heard before these few lines reaches you Sir I can inform you that we had the hardest fight at Gettysburg that ever has been fought the 1st 2nd 3rd days of July the first day we drove them and run them through Town we stoped in town that night they fell back to the best position in the world we had 130 pieces of canon playing on them two days we lay in line of Battle between our canon and theirs this was the first time I ever heard canondgeing and the men that has been in Service all the time Say they never heard the like I cant tell you anything as to our loss our men says the yankees loss is 4200 and some say our loss is 9,000 perhaps you will have heard a truer statement than I am able to give one think I know I seen Jessee Reid and he said Co F 7 Reg. went in with 40 men and they had 14 left the rest was wouned and killed or taken prisoner (p. 1)

you doubtless will have heard moore than I can tell you as we do not get any papers yet  well we fell back from gettysburg to hagersTown in Maryland and formed a line of Battle From HagersTown to Sharpsburg and we throwed breast works all the way but the yankees did not attack or they did not come on our fortifications through we had heavy fireing all along the line I think we laid in line of Battle there 3 days and nights and the last night our Company & Co G. were sent down on the lines to relieve the Sharpshooters and a regment of calvary about an hour by sun down charge our lines we Repulsed them and Stuartst calvary taken 25 prisoners and about dark we saw heavy coluns of infnatry and nobody left Back there but the piekct lines us I mean and we Stayed there till half after one clock, and then made our escape to the potomac and waded the mighty river only under our arms and it raining hard as could pour mud only knee deep you may guess that what we call retreat under cover of night and I dont think I will ever wade it again and the (p. 2)

cavalry has been following us ever since has dome much damage to our army we have killed & taken the most of them that runs up on us we hear that Vickburg has fallen and that the yankees has been doing considerable damage in NC the men are vary low down in spirists at this time and great many get sick and broke down we have nothing to but beet & bread the poorest beef you ever saw I think we will get better beef after a little I am getting sorter week my Self A. Smith is sick has given up till today I am in hopes this ware will soon stop the men say they will stop it next spring if nobody else cant stope you understand that I do not think they intend fighting any longer they want those men that can whip 10 yankees to come on if they dont we will be whiped I am satisfied of one thing we never can whip them nor we cant pearish them out if you was in pennsylvania onec you could satisfy yourself of that fact the whole world is one wheat field of wheat and Irish potatoes in fields corn looks as good as you ever (p. 3)

saw in your life they make butter Enough to feed their army on so I will not say any more on the subject if any man dont believe the Yankees will fight let him come out and tri it once  D. F. Kinney was killed or wound or taken prisoner is all I can tell you about it though I expect you have heard moore than I know So I soon will have to close having been in enemies land some tinight Of time I am out of stamps and can not get them or else I would pay Postage but I hope when we get to Winchester or Stanton we can get some hopeing you will look over all imperfections of spelling and writing &C hopeing to hear From you soon

I Remain your Vary respectfullly

B. R. Kinney

We have rain any amount in this country and every thing looks vary well and I hope you have had plenty in your section.