Dec 21,1861
Camp Wood, Hart Co, Ky

Dear friend,
It has been some time since I received your letter and now set my self down to answer it the reason I did not write sooner was because I had severl letters to write and as knews was scarce I thought I would wait till I could write somthing knew. But I guess you have saw an account in the papers of what I am going to write a bout. The 17th of this month the 32nd Indiana was attacked by the Rebbels on the south side of the Green River. There was only 4 companies of the 32nd and the Rebbel force numbered one thousand Infantry, five hundred Cavelry and six pieces of artilery. The Rebbels had almost surrounded our litle band but the Rebbels could not take them. There was only two companies of the 32nd that was in the hardest of the battle. The Rebbels had surrounded our litle band but could not take them. The loss on the side of the 32nd was eight killed on the field and 25 wounded. But there has been six died since the Rebbels surrounded one of the Lieutenants and wanted him to surrender and be taken prisiner but he refused and began shooting them with his revolver. The Rebbels shot him five times threw the brest, one ball went threw his neck one threw his foot so he had seven shots threw him. But the loss of the Rebbels loss was greater than the loss of the Union men. The loss of the Rebbels killed and wounded was eighty fifty killed and if Generel Jonson would of let the 49th reinforce the 32nd a litle sooner we would of taken the most of them prisiner and taken there battery any how. But the Generl would not let us go till it was to late. The Rebbels had retreated. Company B was sent over the Battle field to hunt up the ded and wounded. I was over the field and saw severl of the ded Rebbels and some of our own men layed there to and a lot of horses that was ded and some wounded. It was a hard looking sight a sight that I never saw before. I tell you I herd the canon balls wistle and bus. I tell you the way they roared wasen't slow. There was some scart boys a bout the time the old Dog began to bark I did not feal scart a bit. I don't say so to brag, but I was not scart a bit it just seamed to me like going out to drill I just felt as cool as a cucumber. One of the Rebbels got after one of our boys and run him to the fence and then our Union boy turned on him and the Rebbel caut hold of the boys bayonet and they had quite a tussel for the bayonet but the Rebbel jerked the bayonet off of his gun but that did not scare the boy a bit he just up with his gun and shot the Rebbel did and got his bayonet a gain and one of the Cavelry Rebbels got after one of our Union Captens and just as our Capten went to jump over a fence the Rebbel drew his revolver and was a going to shoot the capten but the Rebbel was a litle to slow on triger one of the union boys up with his gun and shot the Rebbel down off of his hors and saved the life of his Capten (Bulley for him). The 32nd Regiment that had the fight ar all [Gr] Germens we call them the dutch Regiment. One of the dutch and one of the Rebbels had a fight. The Rebbel found out that the union man could talk dutch and the Rebbel commenst to talk dutch to him. But that would do no good. The dutch union man run his bayonet threw the Rebbel and killed him ded. At a nither place one of the dutch found a Rebbel that was not quite ded and the dutchman turned him over and filled his mouth with mud and then left him lay and choke to dith. That was rather bad but the dutch was so mad at the Rebbels becaus they would show them any quarters wile they had the upper hand of the dutch that the dutch would of fought as long as there was a man left. But the Rebbels had to retreat and left one of there ded on the field. (I made a litle mistake the Rebbels left eight on the field instead of one) and the next morning the Rebbels came into our camp with a flag of truse the next morning to burry there ded. The Rebbels was a litle mad becaus we did not burry there ded. I can't tell why we did not but I guess the reason was becaus it was to late. It was rather bad to let them men lay there all night for the boys toar one of them almost to peases. Our men got some of there guns and a sword, severl revolvers and six or eight saddels and bridels. There guns that we got was double bared shot guns and single barled pistols, a couple revolvers. We got some blankets and some other litle things. I can't tell for sure any thing but what I saw my self. There is a great many storries here a bout the fight. Some of the boys say there was two Regiments and a Regiment of Cavelry and I can't tell hardly how many there was only one of the Dutch told me as I stated first. Well I guess I have told you all a bout the fun I know and some that I herd and I will bring my letter to a close.

Tell John A Shafer that I would like to hear from him. Tell him that he must give me all the knews a bout the girls and you must give me a full discription of the girls and folks in generl. Give my love to all the folks and take good care of Lib for she is firstrate girl. You must write soon. Perhaps I can tell you somthing more for we expect a fight here evry day and if I should be spaired to tell the story. We have a bout 20 thousand soldiers here now and sill more a coming. When you write put the full directions on the letter and be sure to put the
O.V.U.S.A.

From your friend till death
Calvin B[?]

The original is contained in the Rutherford B. Hayes presidential museum, Fremont, Ohio.

Source of letter provided by Jeff Murah. Transcription completed by Misty Guille.

John Calvin Bowersox died of wounds on April 8,1862 at the Battle of Shiloh, TN.