Soldier's Letter, Civil War, May 1864

 Oxford Times June 8, 1864

Letter from the 10th N.Y. Cavalry

We are permitted to extract the following from a letter lately received from Thomas C. Pettis, by his wife.  It contains the sad intelligence of the death of Sheldon Bolles, by lightning, after having well and valiantly withstood the shock of shot and shell, and the death-dealing rain of rebel bullets.

May 31st, Within 10 Miles of Richmond

We have had some hard battles, two days ago, we had the hardest cavalry battle that was ever fought. We drove them after some hard fighting.  Our loss was large, but the rebs was a good deal more.  One man in Co. K, was killed, his name was A. Martin.  Two were slightly wounded, one was George Booth, but the worst of all is that Sheldon Bolles is dead, he was struck by lightning and killed instantly.  I was a few rods from him.  I thought it struck close.  It killed 2 horses and there was several knocked down.  We had a battle yesterday and they are fighting now a few miles from here. We are now within 10 miles of Richmond, and we are waiting for orders.  The infantry is ahead of us this morning, but I think we will have to go out on the flank in a little while.  If we can get Richmond we will have them whipped.  Then we can come home.  Don't worry about me, I have plenty to eat and that the rebs can't say.  They eat raw corn.  That was all they had in their haversacks, for I saw over one hundred and fifty of those that were shot, and all they had was from one to two quarts of corn.  They are hard up, and they will be harder up before Grant gets through with them.

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Thomas C. Pettis would survive the war.  The Adjutant's Report for the 10th cavalry provides the following information about his service.

PETTIS, THOMAS C.—Age, 37 years, Enlisted, August 27, 1862, at Oxford, N. Y.; mustered in as sergeant, Co. K, October 29, 1862, to serve three years; mustered out as supernumerary, June 20, 1865, at Cloud's Mills. Commissioned second lieutenant, December 22, 1864, with rank from December 12, 1864. 

The following information is provided for Sheldon Bolles who was killed by lightning

BOLLES, SHELDON--Age, 35 years. Enlisted, August 27, 1862, at Oxford; mustered in as corporal, Co. K , October 29, 1862, to serve three years; killed, May 24, 1864, by lightning, at White Chimneys, Va .