Saturday May 14, 1864

Saturday May 14, 1864

Saturday May 14, 1864
Near Spottsylvania Court House

My dear Mother:

An opportunity offers for reaching the mail from which we have been cut off of some days, so I will give you the news to date.

We left camp on the third and fourth; have been fighting ever since. It is an unprecedented struggle; not so much one battle, but a series of battles. Grant was evidently endeavoring to march past Lee and get position, and thus force Lee to attack him, but "Robert" was too smart for him, and struck Grant as he was on the march, and forced him to fight just then and there. In that fight, we whipped them. We drove them back, and then built breastworks, and they charged them furiously, coming up again and again to the attack after the most terrible punishment. We just slaughtered them, and with comparatively slight loss to ourselves.

Saturday we made off to the right, and came to Spottsylvania Court House, and have been fighting here ever since--same style--we behind breastworks, and they attacking, latterly all of the prisoners full of whiskey. Our loss is heavy in officers. Poor Frank Gaillard killed; General Jenkins also, and McGowan wounded. Don't be uneasy about me. You know that I am in the life insurance also. Courier won't wait, so good-bye. Love to all.

J.C.

Mary Conner Moffet, editor, Letters of General James Conner, C.S.A., (Columbia, South Carolina: R.L. Bryan, Co., 1950), 127-128