Letter to his father from Sharpsburg, MD. Opens by stating that a fellow solider must write the letter for him as he took a bullet in the shoulder in battle. Talks in greater detail about the injury, assuring his father it is not serious. Tallies the total losses as he knows them for his father. Letter has blood stains, presumably Garlick's. Included are images of the monument to the 8th CT at Antietam which marks where their advanced position in the IX Corps attack and an image of where the Confederate lines were facing that advanced position.
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Tuesday Sept 28th 1862
Dear Father
I write you this by the hand of my friend Bardsey Gilbert who is taking care of me to let you know where I am and how I am getting along. I was unlucky enough the day of the battle to get a bullet in my body. It went in to my back near my left shoulder and is in my body now but the Surgeon says that it is doing well. The Surgeon says that the bullet will not trouble me much. He thinks it was a terrible battle we had just half of our company in killed and wounded. The killed are David Lake and Robert Ferriss and a man by the name of George Burch. Robert Ferriss was shot through the breast. He fell dead. Lake was shot in the hip and the ball glanced upwards into his bowels. He lived until the next day. The wounded are Robert Stuart, Barth Latin (?), Wm Terrell, Timothy T. Terrell, John Geeley, Orville Sprague, Oscar Squire, John McKay(?), Charles N. Erwin, and myself but there is none of them that is dangerously wounded. We had a color guard the day of the battle of two sergeants and seven corporals and they were all killed or wounded except the loss in our regiment is about 200 killed and wounded. Our Lieut. Col, was wounded very severely in the leg but I believe that he has not had it amputated although they thought it would be necessary. I received a letter from mother the day before we left Washington and should have answered it before this but I have had no opportunity. I hope to be well enough before a great while to write to you myself and then I will give you the full particulars of our march and doings since leaving Washington. Give my respects to all enquiring friends and now farewell for this time. I remain your dutiful son
Charles Garlick
P.S.When you write to me the directions will be
Charles Garlick
Co I 8th Regt, C. V.
General Hospital
Near Sharpsburg
Washington Co.??
Care Dr. Warner Md
Surgeon in Charge
Chas. Garlick
