submitted by Commission member, Noreen Marchand, a descendant of the Tuttle family

                                                                                                                   
Pleasant Valley
                                                                                                                    
October 12th 1862
 
Dear Father,


I received your letter with the money in it some time since but have not had time to answer it until now. We have been on the march for six weeks. We have been in one battle at Antietam Creek. There we lost our Col.   Kingsbury and all of our staff were wounded and have gone home. We had six  killed and five wounded in our company. I had a narrow escape myself. The bullet went through my body belt and coat. The belt was split about three inches. I am rather lame where it hit me. I will tell you about the march from Frederick City to the Creek. We left Frederick City four weeks yesterday. We arrived in Middletown the same day. The next day we went to the south mountains. In the struggle that took place there we was under fire of the enemy guns all day but did not come in to close action there. We lay that night on our guns until morning. Then we went up the mountain into a piece of woods and lay there until almost night. Then we came down the mountain and marched until about midnight. Then we rest and lay there until the next day until almost night. Then we crost the lots into a holler and lay down for the night. In the morning they come out to shell us and we had to move off from there and up the hill. Then the general came along and gave the Col. orders and told him where to go. We then went down the hill into a piece of corn. While we was going  through the corn we could hear the picket firing upon us. We crossed a piece of plough land about forty rods in length. There the bullets came in showers. Then we took a double quick arcrost this lot then we returned the fire. Good sharp shooters. Our men fell thick and fast. We stayed until we shot sixty rounds a piece then we were out of ammunition so we lay down until another regiment relieved us. We went into the action four times that day, three times without ammunition. There you could see the lots covered with the dead and dying. That was the worst sight that I ever saw. Some in one position and some in other positions. Once while going through the lots, the balls, every time that I  stepped, would strike in the ground under my feet. I do not see how that I came out alive.

 I am well as usual and hope these few lines will find you all the
same. It is getting quite cool here nights. Write as soon as you can to oblige your son.

Albert Tuttle                                                                                                                                                      
Company D  11th  regiment
Burnside Division