August 15, 1862

From the Fireside Defenders.

	CAMP AT FALLING CREEK, NEAR
	Richmond, Va., July 30, 1862.
   Editor Courier:-- It seems almost
useless at this late hour, to give you the
casualties of the Fireside Defenders,
as the community at large have had
many and various opportunities to as-
certain our standing, though, at your 
request--and perhaps for the infor-
mation of others--I will endevor to give
you a few items concerning our compa-
ny.  It was my intention to have giv-
en a full report of our first fight imme-
diately after it, but we were kept under
arms nearly all the time, until the bat-
tle was decided.  Since we have been
in camp, my health has been delicate;
consequently, I have not been able to
write.
   It was on the morning of the 25th
of June, that our regiment first had 
an opportunity of engaging the enemy.
Our company numbered about forty
men under command of Lieut. W. G.
Johnson.  We were under a hot and
galling fire from very superior numbers
of the enemy for two hours.  The fol-
lowing is the casualties:
   Killed.--James Blackwell.
  Mortally wounded.--H. H. Blackwell
and Joseph Cashin--both have since 
died.
   Severely wounded.--J. R. Buckhalter
and W. P. Whitlock.
   Slightly.--J. D. Smith--though he 
was not in the fight, but was wounded 
at camp by a spent ball--J. A. Sharp,
D. M. Watson, S. F. Woodruff and
Sergt. A. G. M. Cumbee.
   We weren't engaged any more until
July the First, when we made a very 
hazardous and desperate charge upon
a battery, but failed to reach it.  For-
tunately in this undertaking we lost
none of our company.  Sergt. S. B.
Treadaway (now Lieut.) was slightly
wounded; Col. Jones was slightly wound-
ed in the jaw by a piece of shell.
   I would like to give the names of all
the boys engaged in each fight, and
also the manner in which they acquit-
ed themselves, but time and space 
forbid.
   The mortality in this regiment and
this company much greater from dis-
ease than from the effects of bullets.
To our sad misfortune, we have lost
nine members of our company during
this month--eight with disease and one
of wounds.  Their names are as fol-
lows: Lieut W. G. Johnson, Corporal
Stephen Newman; Privates W. C.
Cunningham, C. M. Perry, G. W. Mc-
Kisic, S. A.Thomas, Joseph Cashim,
R. D. Strickland and A. J. Arnold.
J. D. Cornutt and S. W. Stuart were
taked prisoners 30th of June.  They
went upon the field in the evening to
look after the dead and wounded, and
ventured too near the enemy's lines,
consequently were captured. They
have been heard from at New York.--
The casualties in this regiment in all
the battles are comparatively small--
144 killed, wounded and missing.
   We are now camped in a beauti-
ful and healthy locality, six miles  South
of Richmond, on the Turnpike road
leading from Richmond to Petersburg.
The health of the regiment is impro-
ving rapidly.  This division (formerly
under Gen. Huger,) is now commanded
by Gen. R. M. Anderson, of South
Carolina.  Our Brigade is commanded
by Brigadier Gen. A. R. Wright, of Ga.,
formerly Col. of 3d Ga. Regiment.
				H.