Letters from War: 1861 | “The balls flew like hail stones” – A Pittston soldier survives the Battle of Hoke’s Run

On July 2, 1861, the men of the 11th Pennsylvania finally met the enemy. Writing from Williamsport, MD two days later, Private William Ferris of Pittston, PA became the first soldier in this series to report from an actual battlefield — and the news from the front was only getting more serious. Read the full letter.