JAMES OSCAR TYREL 5/8/1864, PETERSBURG, VA

Copyright (c) 2001 by Thomas Dunne (dunne1@usadatanet.net).

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                Transcribed by Thomas L Dunne, descendant of Mortimer S Tyrel, 
who is the brother of  Charles M Tyrel of the 22nd New York Inf., and 
James Oscar Tyrel of the 118th New York Inf.  


               (James Oscar Tyrel was born in Hebron, Washington Co., NY August 
5, 1841. He joined the 118th Reg. NYSV, Co. D in Chestertown, 
Warren Co., NY August 6, 1862. Fought at Drewys Bluff, and was shot 
in the knee at Cold Harbor, VA June 1864, and died in Harwood 
Hospital, Washington, DC, of Gangrene, July 9, 1864.  He is buried at 
that hospital.  He went by the first name of Oscar )  

                     
                                                                                    118th Camp 2nd Brigade
                                                                                    1st Division 18 army Corps
                                                                                    near Petersburgh, Va

                                                                                             May 8th 1864

                                      Sunday morning hot and sultry but not so hot as yet, as yesterday 
though it may be before night.  We marched to about 5 miles yesterday 
morning founed the rebs in force  We formed a line of scerimishers of 
the 8th ??? and the remainder of the Brigade in line of Battle and 
advanced through the woods when withen about five rods of there lines 
works we received orders to fix bayonet they took leg boil and ran like 
edev as the frenchman sayed we kept up heavy scermishing all day 
long unknown as yet our object being acomplished at night we returned 
to Camp where I am in hopes we will be permited to spend the Sabath 
in quiat Camp life but then we are ready when Old Benn says go ahead 
boys we are the boys that are always ready it is reported that the 8th 
Cpt lost 1/8th of there men and the 115 Ky sufard worse then eny 
others on acount of there being towalk tairing up the railroad and 
destroying the telegraph betwen Petersburgh and Richmond 
Wednesday morning May 11th back to Camp once more safe and 
sound after tusday hard marching and fighting I am happy to say 
without loosing a man of our regiment the other regiments in our 
brigade lost sevearly in skermishing we had a few wounded by shells I 
think during the fight of Monday and Monday night we killed as meny 
as four to there one of us I do not think our Generel wants to take 
Petersburgh for we was within about two miles of there yesterday when 
we received orders to fall back we was out skermishing so we had to 
cover the ratreat I think they had gott enough of it for they did not fire 
on us at all after we started to fall back but I must quit for I do not 
believe you can read this so good bye for this time this from your 
brother Oscar to Mortimer

                                Give my love to all inquireing friends