Found this:

State of Missouri October 28,1861
Dear father and mother and sisters. I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are both well at present and hope when these few lines comes to hand, they may find you all well.Now I will inform you whats taken place. Last Monday, we marched in Fredricks town nine o'clock in the morning. The enemy has left. We stop there and staid there till about one o'clock. We started to follow them and our artillery was before us and they had not gone over a half a mile till the enemy fired their cannon at our men when our cannons opened on them. They soon see's their cannons, our cannon still kept firing, an then the roaring of the cannons was almost deafening and the musketts firing on them and they done great.The battlefield was covered with dead rebels. They retreated from the woods. We run up on their cannon before we knew it and we fired on them and they fired their cannon at us twice and they shot right over our heads.We killed all the artillery men and they had to ceace firing those cannon and we still kept firing on them and they soon retreated and we still followed them and some surrendered and we took some of them prisoners. There was about five hundred of them killed and wounded. There was six of our men killed and about ten or twelve wounded.
Now I will tell you what I do so far. I was in the battle myself and had the cannon balls to whistle around my head. There wasn't nary a man in our redgiment killed nor wounded. The battle lasted about four hours. There was about seven thousand of them and about the same of us.
The rebels hadn't no arms, they had old shot guns and little squirrel rifles, we had good arms. They had four cannons but we took their cannons away from the rebels. We're the boys that fears no noise.
I am getting fat and hearty. I received your letter. I was glad to hear from you. We are to go to draw our money in a few days. I must bring my letter to a close. Some more at present. I want you to write as soon as you receive this letter.

John Thompson

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