Letter from 

Captain Evans R. Brady,

Company K
11th Pennsylvania Reserves

to his Wife 

Transcribed by Shirley Pierce

We are permitted by Mrs. Brady to publish the following letter from her gallant husband, now a prisoner of war at Richmond. It will prove a satisfaction to the friends of the brave boys in Capt. Brady's company who can learn from it the certainty of the fate of their friends. We hope soon to hear that they are all exchanged:

Richmond, V., July 6, 1862

My Dear Wife:

Having an opportunity to write I embrace it to let you know I am well. It will be difficult for you to write to me--in fact it is hardly necessary to try it. I have hope that the Government will exchange prisoners or that the authorities here will permit us to return home on parole that we will not take up arms again until regularly exchanged--in either event it is my intention to return home to my family. I take my position as comfortably as the circumstances will admit, yet I have lost everything excepting the clothes upon my back, and these are the worst I had. Be cheerful and happy--do not fret, and all will come right in time. Cheer mother--tell her I am still alive, though nothing but a Divine Providence ever carried me through the terrible fight of the 27th of June. Our boys were surrounded but fought desperately--about every fourth man in our regiment is either killed or wounded.

The following members of my company were in the fight:

Killed:  David L. Swarts, A. J. Harl, M. L. Boyington, Davis Dehaven, Solomon Fitzgerald, Joseph C. Gibson, O. R. Morey, James H. Myers, Winfield S. Taylor, John McMillen.

Wounded prisoners:  J. G. Monks, in head by bayonet; John Baker, shot in arm and leg; Thomas Neal, flesh wound in left leg; Thos. W. Sallade, shot in leg; John Engle, shot in left hand; G. R. Ward, shot in shoulder.

Prisoners not wounded:  Capt. E. R. Brady, 1st Lieut. J. P. George, 2d Lieut. Cyrus Butler, Sergt. Thos. P. McCrea, A. W. McKillip, John Miller, Joshua Jones, John Uplinger, D. K. Levan, L. D. Dobbs, Jas. Elliott, John H. Alt, Samuel Alexander, A. L. Brown, Wm. Cathcart, Wm. Coulter, E. A. Cornel, John W. Carr, Wm. Eisel, P. A. Foster, Cal. Galbraith, Benewell Haugh, Wm. C. Kelly, Thos. L. Hall, H. w. McKillip, Thos. Wolf, Wm. Oswandle, Eli Philips, Henry Reigle, Wilson Ramsey, Thos. Rock, George Surdam, Loran Skinner, John Sheesley, George Slack, George Shick, Joseph Smith, Levi B. Wise, Perry Welch, Allen C. Wiant, James A. Blair, John A. Montgomery, James Williams, Wm. Chamberlain, O. T. Minor, John W. Shillenbarger, Samuel Miles, Job Carley, Wm. Hoffman, Sylvester McKinley.

Twenty-three others were on duty at other places and were not in the battle. I suppose they are safe.

We have been led to believe that the confederates had no force and would not fight. We have tried them and found them both brave and strong in number. The prisoners taken all speak with kind feelings of the soldiers by whom they were captured. In fact I could scarcely believe it had I not been an eye witness. Respects to all.

From E. R. Brady.

Of those whom the Captain supposes to be killed, Sergeant D. L. Swarts, A. J. Harl, privates Joseph Gibson, Solomon Fitzgerald and John McMillen, succeeded in making their escape unhurt. Sergt. J. P. Miller and Corporal Ed. Scofield, also escaped unhurt.