David Phares Letter
Dear wife got in the army at this place on the evening
of the 7 and had to start soon the next morning to meet the enemy
and we met them about 3 miles below mansfield and fought a battle
with them, it was not very long but it was pretty hot while it
lasted the hotest fight commenced abut 2 or 3 oclock in the
---ning, we tried to get the yankees, to charge us where we were
sheltered behind a large farm but we could not do it, So we had
to charge on them about half a mile or 3 quarters right across an
open field to where they were Sheltered behind the fence and in
thickets and we drove them back and when we Started them we drove
them before us until Dark then we camped on one side of a creek
and then on the other Side until the next morning when they
continued thier retreat back near Leason (?) hill where we had
another Sovene fight on the 8 I think we had more men killed and
wounded than what they did but we took Something over two
thousand of them prisoner we lost out of reginment about 21
killed and about 61 (or 67) wounded our Colonel lieutenant
Colonel and three captains were killed in that fight we captured
about one-- (can't read the next line) between 20 and 30 pieces
of artilery a quantity of baggage and I cannot tell how many guns
from what I could learn on the 9 the yankees got more men killed
than we did we also took a good many prisoners in that fight and
some more property we followed them up on the tenth and took more
prisoners on that day The tenth is the last --- that I have from
them I heard others had
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--but I was detailed on the first days fight to help pack the
wounded men off of the battle field and I had to follow our
reiment up and was where the balls whistled on each side of me
and the bumbshells bursted all around me and the next day it late
before the fight commenced and my company did not get within site
of the battle ground until about sun down and we had no arms So
we had to march back a mile to get our guns by that time the
fight ended on the tenth we marched back towards where I we are
now camped and our cavalry run the yankees back to there gun
boats on the 11 we come back up here and got here late and I was
very tired and hungry but I received a letter from you (the next
words could be: wife you; there is a spot over some of the
letters) give me great Satisfaction to hear that you were all
well. I understand that we have to go across red river now to
help general Price to whip the feds on that side of the river I
do not know whether we will start tomorrow or rest until next
day, I Suppose we got killed and wounded about 7 thousand men in
both fights, and we taken about 35 hundred prisoners and I cannot
tell how many yankees got killed and wounded, I would be glad to
See this war Stop for it is a very bad thing to See our fellow
men Just Shot down like beast or bumsled (?bombshelled) all to
peices with a bumbshell, this leaves we well, write soon Direct
your letters as follows
D T Phares Shreveport La Co e (or L) 17 or 77th Texas Cav
Yours
D T Phares
TYPED AS WRITTEN