I was very glad to get a letter from you and should have answered it before this but I had to march for New Mexico. Col Canby who has command of the Union troops in N.M. has had a terrible encounter with Sibley of the Texas Rangers. Canby had only eight hundred white men and one Reg of Mexicans under the renowned Kit Carson . Sibley had three thousand men our white men done all the fighting for the Mexicans broke and ran at the first fire our men fought like tigers one company of Pikes Peak Boys was cut to peases only seventeen survived the fight they emptied thirty five Texas saddles the first fire and loss of killed and wounded was about 225 the Texans about 400 as soon as we heard of the battle we made a forced march to the rescue and marched a Reg of men 350 miles in 14 days we marched 120 miles in three days and 80 miles in 24 hours. I think we made the biggest march on record, we understood that Sibley was making an attack on Fort Union the word came to us about sundown after the men had marched 40 miles and had not had their supper and they threw their hats in the air and swore they would march 40 miles farther before they slept and they did they started off singing the Star spangled banner, Red White & Blue and Yankee doodle so you can imagine what kind of material this Reg is composed of we are now at Ft Union without a fight but start in three days to attack Sibley where I expect we shall have as great a battle as ever was known.
Soldiering suits me although it is rather rough at present. we have travelled through mountains and plains and seen many amusing things we have a splendid chance to study human nature for we have all kinds of men in the Reg we are within one hundred miles of Santa Fe which I suppose is taken by the Texans by this time. men women and children and thousands of head of stock arrive here dailey from that country they are all glad to see the soldiers thre or four companies of the 5th infantry Regulars will march with us we go abreast to Santa Fe. I am afraid this letter will not be very interesting for I dont feel like writing
direct to Lieut S.S. Soule 1st Reg Col[orado] Vols Santa Fe New Mexico