Clark, George W. (fl. 1863-1865) to his sister

[draft]
4 June 1863
Head Quarters, 4th Michigan Cavalry
My Dear Sisiter,
Your very kind letter was received yesterday and you must accept my heartiest thanks for its opportune arrival. I did not expect to hear from you so soon and had received no letters in sometime and was feeling quite letter sick when yours arrived. Your letter found me safe and sound as usual. Why is it you have such superstitious ? ? ? ? ? ? ? no attention in future I am not superstitious myself and I hope you are not. Since I have been in the army I dreamed that I was home attending Fathers funeral. This was sometime ago and so far from it's troubling the peace of my mind. I dreamed it aside and waited for a letter from home, which when it arrived vanished the thought from my mind. Again sometime ago had a dream similar to your and wrote me in a great flutter to know if her dream were true. I wrote her immediately assuring her of my safety and if in the future she was troubled with any such nonsensical dreams to think nothing of them. The cause of such dreams is this, your anxiety works itself to such a pitch thus to the over burdened mind it presents itself in the shape of a dream. I do hope you will not be so superstitious as to let these naughty dreams trouble the peace of your mind in the future. We are still here in our old camp and have made no forward movement yet, although we are all ready. Yesterday the enemy attacked our pickets in strong force and our Regiment went out to protect the pickets. On our arrival the Rebs fell back across the river and a party of skirmishers even sent out to proceed to the River and ? ? ??????? advanced nothing. Less than a quarter of a mile of the ford. Whet Capt Patchard who was by my side saw a Reb move out fro behind a house on the opposite side of the River. He said to me that he would try him. There was ten skirmishers out and Capt Patchard and myself were in the advance ?. He fired on this he Reb. Which he saw and dropped him almost instantaneously. They opened two pieces of artillery on us from behind one of the houses and a perfect shower of musketry. It was unknown to us that they had artillery and they remarried in ambush until we were within one quarter of a mile from them. Imagine our surprise at finding they had artillery. He immediately about faced to make our way back to the river, which were three quarters of a mile in our rear. I with one of company "D" men were in the middle of the road when they fired their first shot. They had one gun planted so as to command the road, which went over our heads and lodged itself in the bank above us without ? the ? was fired immediately after the fresh and at the report this company D ma n who was ahead of me said, "Sergeant drop." We both dropped on our faces and the shell went directly over us and cut off a tree not a rod ahead of us. If we had remained standing it probably would have bean the last of George. ------------------------------------------ our breath away the tree was cut straight off 4 feet from the ground. We immediately regained our feet and started for the reserve and then such ? I never heard. Before one shell burst over our hears and wounded one of our men in the hand he was ahead of me not even thirty two paces he fell instantly and I thought he was killed he fell as quietly that I who was right behind him fell on top of him. I helped him to his feet and discovered that his wound was slight and started with again with him for camp. Another shell struck the General behind us and knocked the rails ? west but did not hit us. The shells were passing over our heads all of the time only one burst. After 20 minutes hard running we reached the reserve Reinforcements even ? sent for and our artillery soon arrived and drove the Rebs from their position behind the houses. When the artillery came up our Regiment moved around crossed the river and came up ? the rear of the houses but the Rebs had skidaddled. We then fell to burning the houses. We burned three houses and all the out buildings and had a glorious old bon fire, that lit up the heavens for miles around. We then withdrew and returned to camp. The entire front of Picket's were attacked which some think is but the prelude to a general ? ------------------------------------------- the same time covering the retreat of a large force of their men to reinforce Vicksburg. Everything is quiet this morning. I must tell you that I was never in so much danger before. 15 shots were fired at us skirmishers and only one man was wounded and that very slightly. You can hear the report of the gun before the shell reaches you and you have time to drop on your face when whiz it come over you making a very unpleasant sound as it passes through the air. I must confess that soldier ? when the shell came that clipped the tree ahead of me it made me think of home, but God's eye was over us and we arrived back safe and sound. We did not expect that they would be in ambush and we had advanced full of confidence that they had retreated when they opened on us with their artillery. They had only two ? Capt. Pritchard kept telling me not to expose myself as much but I was all excited and moved right down toward the river, right in the middle of the road while he was in the ? hidden by the fence. One of their guns was planted in the road across the river hidden by a tree so that I did not see it. I write this to you because I know that you are firm and reconciled. You must not say anything to mother or anyone about this. I would not have mother think that I am in any danger. I am not and would not have been yesterday had I not volunteered and borrowed a grand one of the men who was holding horses. You have probably ? this ? last letter stating that I could not go ? Nashville. I have received give letters from you since you have been in Buffalo. It would be better to direct my letter to Munfreeboro instead of Nashville. Give much love to Uncle, Grandma and Mary and all. If Miss. Moore is still there at Uncle's give her my kindest regards. I remember her well and remember of having spent a very pleasant evening with her in the front upstairs room in days gone by. My box has not arrived yet nor do I think it will at present, as they are not skipping anything through from Nashville on account of the expedition of a forward movement. I am well and enjoying good health. Write soon and give me all the news with much love to all I remain your affectionate
Brother George