Norfolk, September 16, 1861.
We are still here at Norfolk and now in camp for we don't
know how long. We got tents the day after the date of my last, and splendid
ones they are. They are full 10 feet high and 15 feet across. They each
accommodate about 15 men. Since we have been here we have been out scouting
three times. The first time we were down the river about five miles. That was
the time our gunboats had the fight with the “Yankee” and the land batteries.
Two days afterward a body of the enemy's cavalry came up almost to our camp,
and after dinner we were sent out to look them up. We were scooting along
through a thick wood when one of our cavalry men came back half scared out of
his wits (we had about 20 of the cavalry ahead acting as scouts) and reported a
whole mess of men just over a rise of ground ahead of us. Our company was in
the van, and the column came into line on us and our cavalry tried to draw the
enemy back on our position, but Mr. Enemy “drawed” the other way and again we
missed our little fight. Last Saturday we started out again at noon and went
down the river 10 miles where we thought sure we'd find secesh, but he had
again left. We had 2,000 men this time and 6 pieces of artillery. We had
stopped to rest when a cloud of dust was observed rising on our side of the
river about four miles from us. Some of the boys had glasses with them and made
out the cause to be a body of cavalry. Our right was marched a few hundred
yards to the front and placed in line of battle with the left at the river bank
and our right extending along an edge of woods and fronting a cornfield and
open pass between it and the river. A splendid place (for our side) for a
fight. Our gunboat then started down the river, fired at and dispersed one body
they saw and then slipped a few shells into Columbus and returned. We were
within four or five miles of Columbus where there are (our colonel says) 26,000
troops, and on ground where the secesh were encamped but lately with 16 pieces
of artillery. We started back at dusk and got home about 10 o'clock; some of
the boys pretty tired. I stand these little trips like a horse and would rather
go every day than lay around camp. Yesterday (Sunday) the “Yankee” came up and
shelled the woods where we were the day before. She tried to throw some shells
into our camp but they didn't reach us by a mile and a half. One of our
gunboats has to lay here all the time or the “Yankee” would make us skedaddle
out of this on double quick. Don't talk about furloughs. They are played out. A
dispatch came this last week to Colonel Oglesby that his wife was dying. He
went up to Cairo but General McClernand showed him an order from McClellan,
vetoing furloughs, no matter for what. So the colonel had to return here. I'd
like very much to go home but I'll enjoy it all the more when this business is
finished. The 17th is encamped just opposite us on Island No. 1, but we can't
get to see them. Our boys are in good spirits. Sid. and Sam and Theo. are now
all right. Milo Farewell thinks he has the dumb ague. Fred Norcott is sick in
Cairo. Charley Cooper is also sick I have heard. I am all right. My office is
sergeant, two grades below private. Our company goes out on picket to-night.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 30-1
No comments:
Post a Comment