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- (Exact Transcript of letter from Scarborough Broadwater to his three sisters: Mary A. King, Savannah, and Sarah Ann Elizabeth Hibbard).
Camp of the 7th South Carolina Regiment
May the 11th, 1863
Mary A. King & S.A.E. Hibber
Dear Sisters,
I have wrote you both since I had had a line from either of you. But as we have just had another big fight, I will write you a short letter to inform you that I went through it all and came out safe and unharmed. We was in line of battle eight days and did some hard fighting. But I am happy to say that I came out safe. Brother Robert was slitely wounded in the left shoulder but he is well now and with me. He is going to his Regt. in the morning. He had his blanket across his shoulder and the ball went through it is the cause of his wound being so slite. It never broke the skin but he says it deadened his arm so that he had no use of it all.
Brother George went through and came out safe and is with his Regt. I suppose he is well. Their camp is about 10 miles from me.
Henry and Nick Broadwater (cousins) both came out safe and they are both well. They belong to the same Company I do.
I can't tell you any particulars about the fight as regards the loss on either side. (Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2, 1863) But I can say this much that the victory was complete and we taken between ----- (10 and 15 thousand soldiers)? (17,278 Union dead) They said ----- who ----- think they got fifteen hundred of (12,821) our men & I don't know that they got that many. General Lee gives us great prais and sais the victory was one of the most complete victories he has ever gained in the State of Va.
I am very sorry to say that Stonewall Jackson lost one of his arms in the fight and the worst of it all is it is said that it was done by our own men. But I can't say whether it is true or not about our own men wounding him. Sister we lost everything we had in the way of clothing except what we had on & most of us had on our worse clothing. So we are now nearly necked. We all left our knapsacks at camp & they were burnt up & paper and envelopes is worth 5 dollars a quill and 3 dollars for envelopes. I've lost everything of the kind.
I lost 10 dollars worth of paper & envelopes. So you may know that we are in a bad fix now.
Sister it is reported in camp that General Jackson is very ill with pneumonia & it is doubtful whether he gets well or not. I can't tell you anything of interest concerning the fight & if I could there would be no use as it will be old with you before this reaches you. You will see it all in the paper and more than I could tell you before this reaches your hand. So I will close this subject.
Since I commenced this leter we have received orders to pack up and be ready to move at a moments warning. But where to or what is the cause of this order I am not able to say. I expect the enemy are moving, they may be going to come over the river and try us again. I shant be surprised if we fight here again in a week.
Brother William was well when I heard from him, he is in a cavalry company down on the coast & Tommie is with him. When I heard from him last, he said he was going to take Tommie in the company with him. So all of us are in the Service now.
I must close for the want of subject to write. As ever I remain your affectionate Brother untill death.
S. Broadwater
Write soon and direct to Richmond, Va in care of Capt. Roper Co. I 7th S. Carolina Regt.
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