1st Lieutenant Charles Wright Wills: May 27, 1862

Camp on Corinth Road, Miss., May 27, 1862.

Why don't you write me just a word, if no more? I'm almost uneasy. Not a line from home for a month. We hear that smallpox is raging in Canton, and — I want you to write. They say there is some smallpox in the center and right of the army, but think 'tis like the milk sickness of our Egypt, “a little further on.” There's enough sickness of other kinds, so we have no room for grumbling if we can't have that disease. The hospitals at Hamburg make almost a city. I think there can be no more sorrowful sight, real or imaginary, than that camp of the sick.

I don't know the number of patients, somewhere in thousands, all packed in tents as closely as they can lie, and with not one-tenth the care a sick horse would get at home. I suppose the surgeons, stewards and nurses have [f]eelings like men when they first enter the hospitals, but familarity with disease and suffering seem to make them careless and indifferent to a degree that surprises me, and I can't but look upon it as criminal. I suppose nearly half the bad cases are typhoid fever. Yellow fever, cholera and smallpox have never been known here to the citizens. They all say this is a very healthy country, and I believe it. Our boys are suffering from the change of climate and water, and as much as anything, the sudden change in temperature. Our regiment is improving in health now rapidly. We have gained about 40 for duty within a week. We had about 250 sick last week. The 17th has some 300. I found a batch of live secesh women last Sunday. I rode up to a fine looking house to get a glass of milk (I suppose I drink more milk than any six calves in Fulton) and found eight or ten ladies at dinner, accepted a rather cool invitation to dine wid’ ’em, and did justice to their peas and fodder generally, and was much amused. Think there was more spice to that dinner than I ever before saw. One black-eyed vixen opened the ball with “I don't see how you can hold your head up and look people in the face, engaged in the cause you are.” I told her I thought she had a free way of ’spressing her opinion. “Yes,” says she, “I can't use a gun but I can tongue lash you, and will every chance.” Then they all joined in, but I found that eating was my best “holt,” so they had it their own way. When I'd finished my dinner, told them “a la Buell,” that I thought their house would make, an excellent hospital, and that we'd probably bring out 80 or a 100 patients the next day for them to take care of. Scared them like the devil, all but one, and they all knew so much better places for the sick. This odd one said she had a way of “putting arsenic in some people's feed, and she'd do it, too.” Told her we'd give her a commish as chief taster, and put her through a course of quinine, asafœtida and sich. Said she'd like to see us dare to try it, she would. They were too much for me, but I'll never pass that place without calling. I'd give my shirt to have had Ame Babcock there. Those are the first outspoken female seceshers I have yet seen.

Deserters say that the Rebels have positively no forage or provisions in Corinth. That the Memphis and Mobile railways can barely bring enough daily, scraped from the whole length of the lines to feed the army. It is reported here that Sherman took possession of the Memphis road west of Corinth yesterday and has fortified his position. Pope got two or three men killed yesterday. There was about 5,000 of the enemy camped in the woods one and one-half miles in front of his posish, and he drove them back until they were reinforced and made him scoot again. I was out with a scout Sunday and started again last night at dark (Monday) and was out until 9 this a. m. The cause was some small bands raising the d---1 on our left. We didn't catch them. We were over to the Tennessee, Sunday, where we could see the sacred soil of Alabama. I like Alabama better than any other Southern State. She's never done the “blowing” the others have and people here say that she's nearer loyal than any other Southern state. They're raising loyal companies here now. There are two full in Savannah.

General Jeff C. Davis' division passed here to-day to join Pope's corps. Davis stopped with us and made quite a visit. General Ash of this division goes forward to-morrow. The 21st and 38th Illinois from Stules division went out yesterday. Eleven regiments in all added to Pope's command in two days; except the last two they were all at Pea Ridge and some at Wilson's Creek. A splendid lot of men but not drilled equal to many regiments of the “Army Miss.”

I don't honestly believe that we have with all our reinforcements 100,000 men here; but don't believe the Rebels have 75,000; of course I mean effective men that can be called on the field to fight. We have just received orders to move to front to-morrow.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 92-4

Colonel Ulysses S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant, August 3, 1861

Mexico. Mo.,

Aug. 3d, 1861.

Dear Father:

I have written to you once from this place and received no answer, but as Orvil writes to me that you express great anxiety to hear from me often, I will try to find time to drop you a line twice a month, and oftener when anything of special interest occurs.

The papers keep you posted as to army movements, and as you are already in possession of my notions on secession nothing more is wanted on that point. I find here however a different state of feeling from what I expected existed in any part of the South. The majority in this part of the State are secessionists, as we would term them, but deplore the present state of affairs. They would make almost any sacrifice to have the Union restored, but regard it as dissolved, and nothing is left for them but to choose between two evils. Many, too, seem to be entirely ignorant of the object of present hostilities. You cannot convince them but that the ultimate object is to extinguish slavery by force. Then, too, they feel that the Southern Confederacy will never consent to give up their State, and as they, the South, are the strong party, it is prudent to favor them from the start. There is never a movement of troops made, that the secession journals through the country do not give a startling account of their almost annihilation at the hands of the State troops, whilst the facts are, there are no engagements. My regiment has been reported cut to pieces once that I know of, and I don't know but oftener, whilst a gun has not been fired at us. These reports go uncontradicted here and give confirmation to the conviction already entertained that one Southron is equal to five Northerners. We believe they are deluded, and know that if they are not, we are. Since I have been in command of this military district, (two weeks), I have received the greatest hospitality and attention from the citizens about here. I have had every opportunity of conversing with them freely and learning their sentiments, and although I have confined myself strictly to the truth as to what has been the result of the different engagements, the relative strength, the objects of the Administration, and the North generally, yet I think they don't believe a word.

I see from the papers that my name has been sent in for Brigadier General. This is certainly very complimentary to me, particularly as I have never asked a friend to intercede in my behalf. My only acquaintance with men of influence in the State was whilst on duty at Springfield, and I then saw so much pulling and hauling for favors that I determined never to ask for anything, and never have, not even a colonelcy. I wrote a letter to Washington tendering my services, but then declined Governor Yates’ and Mr. Trumbull’s endorsement.

My services with the regiment with which I now am have been highly satisfactory to me. I took it in a very disorganized, demoralized and insubordinate condition, and have worked it up to a reputation equal to the best, and, I believe, with the good will of all the officers and all the men.  Hearing that I was likely to be promoted, the officers, with great unanimity, have requested to be attached to my command. This I don't want you to read to others for I very much dislike speaking of myself.

We are now breaking up camp here gradually. In a few days the last of us will be on our way for the Missouri River, at what point cannot be definitely determined, wood and water being a consideration, as well as a healthy, fine site for a large encampment. A letter addressed to me at Galena will probably find me there. If I get my promotion I shall expect to go there for a few days.

Remember me to all at home and write to me.

Yours truly,

U. S. GRANT.

SOURCE: Jesse Grant Cramer, Editor, Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, p. 43-6

Colonel Ulysses S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant, July 13, 1861

East Quincy. Mo.,

July 13th, 1861.

Dear Father:

I have just received yours and Mary's letters and really did not know that I had been so negligent as not to have written to you before. I did write from Camp Yates, but since receiving yours remember that I did not get to finish it at the time, and have neglected it since. The fact is that since I took command of this regiment I have had no spare time, and flatter myself, and believe I am sustained in my judgment by my officers and men, that I have done as much for the improvement and efficiency of this regiment as was ever done for a command in the same length of time. — You will see that I am in Missouri. Yesterday I went out as far as Palmyra and stationed my regiment along the railroad for the protection of the bridges, trestle work, etc. The day before I sent a small command, all I could spare, to relieve Colonel Smith who was surrounded by secessionists. He effected his relief, however, before they got there. Tomorrow I start for Monroe, where I shall fall in with Colonel Palmer and one company of horse and two pieces of artillery. One regiment and a battalion of infantry will move on to Mexico, North Missouri road, and all of us together will try to nab the notorious Tom Harris with his 1200 secessionists. His men are mounted, and I have but little faith in getting many of them. The notorious Jim Green who was let off on his parole of honor but a few days ago, has gone towards them with a strong company well armed. If he is caught it will prove bad work for him.

You no doubt saw from the papers that I started to march across the country for Quincy. My men behaved admirably, and the lesson has been a good one for them. They can now go into camp after a day’s march with as much promptness as veteran troops; they can strike their tents and be on the march with equal celerity. At the Illinois River, I received a dispatch at eleven o’clock at night that a train of cars would arrive at half past eleven to move my regiment. All the men were of course asleep, but I had the drum beaten, and in forty minutes every tent and all the baggage was at the water's edge ready to put aboard the ferry to cross the river.

I will try to keep you posted from time to time, by writing either to you or to Mary, of my whereabouts and what I am doing. I hope you will have only a good account of me and the command under my charge. I assure you my heart is in the cause I have espoused, and however I may have disliked party Republicanism there has never been a day that I would not have taken up arms for a Constitutional Administration.

You ask if I should not like to go in the regular army. I should not. I want to bring my children up to useful employment, and in the army the chance is poor. There is at least the same objection that you find where slavery exists. Fred, has been with me until yesterday; I sent him home on a boat.

Yours &c.

U. S. GRANT.

SOURCE: Jesse Grant Cramer, Editor, Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, p. 40-2

21st Illinois Infantry

Organized at Mattoon, Ill., and mustered in June 28, 1861. Ordered to Ironton, Mo., July 3, 1861. Operations on line of Hannibal & St. Jo. R. R. at Mexico, Mo., till August. Reached Ironton, Mo., August 9.  Attached to Department of Missouri to March, 1862. Steele's Command, Army of Southeast Missouri, to May, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Army of Mississippi, to September, 1862. 31st Brigade, 9th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October, 1862. 31st Brigade, 9th Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Right Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to June, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1865. Department of Texas to December, 1865.

SERVICE. – Duty at Ironton, Mo., till January, 1862. Operations about Ironton, Mo., October 17-25, 1861. Action at Fredericktown October 21. March from Ironton to Greenville January 29, 1862, and duty there till March. Moved to Reeve's Station, on Black River, March 3-10, thence to Doniphan and Pocohontas, Ark., March 31-April 21. Action at Putnam Ferry April 1. March to Jacksonport, Ark., April 30-May 4, thence to Cape Girardeau, Mo., May 10-21, and to Hamburg Landing May 21-24. Siege of Corinth, Miss., May 26-30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12. March to Jacinto and Ripley June 29-July 4. At Corinth, till August 14. March through Alabama to Nashville, Tenn., and to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg, August 14-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-16. Battle of Perryville October 8. Stanford October 14. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 9, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Nolensville, Knob Gap, December 26. Battle of Stone River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. At Murfreesboro till June. Reconnoissance from Murfreesboro March 6-7. Methodist Church, Shelbyville Pike, March 6. Reconnoissance to Versailles March 9-14. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 24-July 7. Liberty Gap June 24-27. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga, Ga., September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-October 27. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Duty at Bridgeport, Ala., till January 26, 1864. Moved to Ooltewah January 26. Veterans absent on furlough till June. Non-Veterans attached to 101st Ohio Infantry till June 4, when Veterans returned. Atlanta Campaign May to September, 1864. Tunnel Hill May 6-7. Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Demonstrations on Dalton May 9-13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Near Kingston May 18-19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 23-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battle about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Mount June 10. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Pursuit of Hood into Alabama October 3-30. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. March to Huntsville, Ala., and duty there till March 13, 1865. Operations in East Tennessee till April 11. At Nashville, Tenn., till June. Moved to New Orleans, La., June 17-25, thence to Indianola, Texas, July 12-15. Duty at San Antonio, Texas, till December. Mustered out at San Antonio, Texas, December 16, and discharged at Camp Butler, Ill., January 18, 1866.

Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 124 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 140 Enlisted men by disease. Total 272.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium Of The War Of The Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1053-4

Henry Hardy

Private, Co. I, 21st Illinois Infantry

Killed December 30, 1862, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Isaac Grooms

Private, Co. C, 21st Illinois Infantry

Killed December 30, 1862, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Further from Ft. Donelson

FT. DONELSON, via CAIRO, Feb. 20. – The number of field pieces taken in the Union victory here is much larger than heretofore telegraphed.  We have at least 70 guns.  Among them are bronze and iron rifled pieces of English manufacture.  Taylor’s battery captured a beautiful riffled piece, an intimation of the Parrott, made in England, and 2 bronze rifled pieces.

The prisoners will amount to full 15,000, all contrary assertions notwithstanding.

The small arms captured amount to 20,000.

So far as I can ascertain, our loss is:

49^th Illinois, killed and wounded, 40.

Taylor’s Battery, 1 killed and 4 wounded.

18^th Illinois, Killed 45; about 60 wounded.

17^th Illinois, killed 4, wounded 20.

12^th Iowa killed 3, wounded 64.

58^th Ohio, wounded 8.

14^th Iowa, 6 killed, 50 wounded.

2^nd Iowa, 38 killed, 150 wounded.

9^th Illinois, 35 killed, 60 wounded.

41^st Illinois, 17 killed, 140 wounded.

20^th Illinois, 21 killed, 118 wounded.

30^th Illinois, 19 killed, 71 wounded.

8^th Illinois, 56 killed, 186 wounded.

21^st Illinois, 40 killed, 200 wounded.

12^th Illinois, 35 killed, 109 wounded.

It is utterly impossible, as yet to make out anything like a full list of the names of the killed and wounded.  I will send them to you as soon as they can be made out by the officers.

The number of Rebels killed, is at the least calculation 800, and their wounded more than double that number.

Other important movements are now on foot in this region.  Keep your ears open for stirring news.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 3

St. Louis News

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18. – A disgraceful affair occurred at Jefferson City yesterday.  A local Sheriff seized a contraband on the arrival of the train from Otterville.  Lieut. Hannah, of the Ohio Cavalry, attempted to procure his release, when the Sheriff threatened to shoot him.  An order from headquarters released the negro and prevented serious collision.

The 21^st Illinois is now at Greenville, and are about to start for Bloomfield.  The 33d and 38^th are still at Pilot knob and Ironton.

The second seizure of goods was made at the residence of W. G. Clark, to-day, to make up a deficit existing after the former sale.  Steamboats are loading with troops as fast as possible.

Mr. Wm. McShenn of this city, accompanied by 12 experienced nurses, and an immense store of hospital supplies, leaves here this afternoon by railroad to supply comforts to the Ft. Donelson wounded.

Several secessionists who have been particularly biter since yesterday, have been arrested.  Secession here is generally remarkable quiet.

Claimants whose claims are ready for delivery from the Claims Commission of this city, are requested, by the Secretary of the Commission, to send or call for them immediately.

Memphis is spoken of by Gen. Halleck’s staff officers as the next place in his department to fall.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 3

Joseph W. Maxwell

Private, Co. I, 21st Illinois Infantry

Killed December 30, 1862, Battle of Stones River

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

From St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18.

A disgraceful affair occurred at Jefferson City yesterday.  The local sheriff seized a contraband on the arrival of the train from Otterville.  Lieut. Hannah, of the Ohio Cavalry then attempted to procure his release, when the sheriff threatened to shoot him.  An order from headquarters released the negro and prevented a serious collision.

The 21st Illinois is now at Greenville and about to start for Bloomfield.  The 33d and 38th are still at Pilot Knob and Ironton.

A second seizure of goods was made at the residence of W. J. Clark to-day, to make up a deficit existing after the former sale.

Steamboats are loading with troops as fast as possible.

Mr. Wm McSheen of this city, accompanied by 12 experienced nurses, and an immense store of hospital supplies, leaves here this p.m. by railroad, to supply comforts to the Fort Donelson wounded.

Several secessionists who have been particularly bitter since yesterday, have been arrested.  Secession here is generally remarkably quiet.  Claimants whose claims are ready for delivery from the claim commission of this city are requested by the Secretary of the commission to send or call for them immediately.

Memphis is spoken of by Gen. Halleck, as the next place in his department to fall.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 20, 1862, p. 1