Cairo. We number now about 60 and have 25 days in
which to fill up to 100. Two hundred and fifty of our regiment of three-months’
men have re-enlisted. Two hundred and fifty out of 680, which is considerably
better than any eastern regiment that I have seen mentioned. There was not a
sick man in our company when we returned, and there is not now. One of the boys
just tells me that day before yesterday morning there were but eight in the
regiment hospital. Three men from our regiment have died in three and a half
months. One of these I know killed himself with imprudence. I have telegraphed
to the boys to be in Peoria Wednesday. I have not the least idea that any of
them will back out. It does seem real good to be back here again where a fellow
can swing himself and lay around loose with sleeves up, collar open, (or shirt
off if it suits him better) hair unkempt, face unwashed and everything
un-anything. It beats clerking ever so much! We were paid off yesterday. The
privates received $56.72 each in gold, silver and copper, which is $24.00 more
than we expected.
We are having some more excitement in camp to-day. A rumored
attack in prospect on Bird's Point is the subject. We are putting the recruits
through in two-forty-style to get them ready. Twenty rounds of cartridges were
served to us at noon to-day, and Prentiss’ aids are galloping round as if
tight. About one quarter of the recruits have their accoutrements on, and some
of them scoot up on the levee every ten minutes to look at the Point. We have
all kinds of rumors of from 2,000 to 15,000 Rebels within from 6 to 15 miles of
us, but if 20 preachers would swear to the truth, there's not one man that has
been here three months would believe it. Been fooled too often! Our officers
are careful though, and treat every thing from head-quarters as reliable till
the contrary is proven.
It is a horrid trip from Peoria to Cairo as the trains run
now. We laid over three hours in El Paso, and eleven hours in Centralia; from
11 p. m. till 10 a. m. Awful! and rode down from Centralia in an accommodation
freight. The bed was excellent at home, but I think that sleeping on boards
rests me better and I know I sleep sounder.
Have worked two hours hard at cleaning up quarters and
eating supper since my last period. Supper consisted of coffee, bread and
butter, and cold steak pickled in vinegar. Vinegar is a great improvement on
cold beef, I wonder you never adopted it. We have a prime lot of boys this
time. There are not ten out of the whole company that I would not like to have
for associates at home. I don't believe that one of them will ever take
quarters in the guard-house.
I think our company will be full in ten days. We have
refused lots of roughs here in camp also in Peoria, but three or four little
ones have crept in through acquaintances' influence. Those men we have will
learn to drill in half less time than any other lot of recruits on the ground,
because they have a pride in their appearance and dress, and that has given
them a better carriage and command of themselves than rougher customers have.
We will have in a few days nothing but new recruits here
except the fractions of regiments that have re-enlisted; the 10th, which calls
itself the crack regiment of the post, will all leave for home day after
to-morrow. If it does not come back full in 30 days it will be disbanded. This
is Prentiss' old regiment.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 20-2
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