Headquarters, 1st Brigade Cavalry Division,
Tuscumbia, Ala., July 27, 1862 (Sunday).
We received orders
for our brigade to march on the 19th, and started the 21st. We only made
Jacinto that night, when the colonel and myself stayed with Gen. Jeff. C.
Davis, who is a very approachable, pleasant and perfectly soldier-like man.
There is a strong sprinkling in him, though, of the Regular Army and West
Point. Next day we rejoined the command and marched 15 miles, camped at Bear
Creek, 22 miles west of this place and just on the Mississippi and Alabama line.
Thursday we joined General Morgan's division and that night the brigade camped
within four miles of Tuscumbia, and the headquarters came on into town. This is
a perfect little Eden. Houses for 2,200 people with only 1,200 living here at
present. We stayed at the hotel Thursday night, and the old negro who lighted
me to my room amused me considerably with his account of General Turchin's
proceedings here. Turchin brought the first federal force across the Tennessee
in Alabama, and I guess he “went it loosely.” The old Negro said that he only
had 1,200 men and brought no luggage, knapsacks or anything else with him, but
went away with 300 wagons, and everything there was in the country worth
taking. That his men made the white women (wouldn't let the colored women) do
their cooking and washing, and that although they only brought one suit of
clothes, they put on a new one every morning and always looked as though they
had just stepped from a bandbox. People here hate General Mitchell's whole
command as they do the d---1, and many of them more. Well, we've settled once
more, and I'll be contented if allowed to stay here for sometime. We're
guarding about 100 miles of railroad from Iuka to Decatur, and it promises to
be pretty rough work. Day before yesterday a guerilla party swooped down on a
station 24 miles east of here where General Thomas had 160 men and captured all
but 20 of them. We are relieving General Thomas' command from duty here, but
the Rebels saved us the trouble of relieving that party. We sent out a force
yesterday of three companies and the Rebels surprised and killed and captured
20 of them. I have just heard that there has been a fight eight miles south of
here to-day, between our cavalry and the Rebels, no particulars yet. 'Tis the
3d Michigan that has suffered so far. The 7th Illinois are out now after the
party that surprised the Michiganders yesterday, but have not heard of them
since they started yesterday p. m. We are quartered in the house of a right
good secesh, and are enjoying his property hugely. His pigs will be ripe within
a week, and we'll guard them after our style. The old fashion is played out as
far as this brigade is concerned. We take what is necessary and give vouchers,
which say the property will be paid for at the close of the war, on proof of
loyalty. This valley is 60 or 80 miles long, 15 miles wide and the most
beautiful country imaginable. It is now one vast cornfield. The residences in
this town are superb, and the grounds most beautifully ornamented and filled
with shrubbery. There is a spring here that throws out 17,000 cubic feet of
water each minute. It supplies the town. General Thomas, whom we relieved, has
gone to Huntsville to join Buell. I think they are going to Chattanooga then.
People are intensely secesh here, and whine most mournfully when compelled to
take the oath, or even to give their parole of honor not to give information to
the enemy. Our headquarters is a mile from any troops, just for the quiet of
the thing. Peaches are just in season now, and there are oceans of them here.
Blackberries are still to be found, and we have plenty of apples.
The weather is
beautiful, not too warm and still require my double blanket every night, and
often cool at that. We have information that Hardee with a force is marching on
this place, and it is the most probable rumor that I have heard since the
evacuation. Time will tell.
SOURCE: Charles
Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 117-9
