Headquarters 7th
Illinois Cavalry Camp,
on Hamburg and Corinth
Road,
May 3, 1862.
I arrived here yesterday in safety. Stayed in Peoria the
Monday night that I started, and was in Cairo at 9 p. m. Wednesday. Woke up
Thursday morning on a boat at Paducah and devoted the day to admiring the
Tennessee river. Stopped long enough at Fort Henry to get a good view of its
well pummeled walls, and not-much-to-brag-of defences. The line of ditching
without the works was the best I have ever seen, but the parapet, excepting
that of the Fort proper, wasn't to be compared to our works at Bird's Point, which
are the most inferior of ours that I have seen. The Tennessee runs through a
perfect wilderness. There is not a landing on the river up to this point
(Hamburg) that can begin with Copperas Creek, and indeed, although I watched
closely, I did not see more than three or four points, that of themselves,
showed they were boat landings, and those only by the grass being worn off the
bank; and I did not see a warehouse on either bank unless, maybe, one at
Savannah, where there are also, say four fine dwellings. At no other point did
I see more than three houses, and very rarely, even one. Having heard so much
of the richness of Middle Tennessee I cannot help talking so long of what ought
to be, to it, what the Illinois river would be to us were we without railroads.
I reached Hamburg yesterday afternoon (Friday) and started for my regiment,
which I learned was five miles out on the Corinth way. I walked out as fast as
I could, and reached there to hear that the army had moved on and were probably
two miles ahead and yet going. I laid down and slept a couple of hours,
borrowed a horse, and after six miles riding found them going into camp.
Monstrous hilly country, this, and save a very few clearings, all heavily
timbered. Pope's army has been reinforced considerably since we arrived here.
Think he has, say 30 odd thousand men. I think the ball opened just before I
commenced this letter. For two days past we have had one batallion out about
four miles beyond our present camp holding an important position. They have been
within gunshot of the enemy all the time, but so protected that although they
skirmished a good deal, but one of ours was wounded. In one little charge our
boys made out they killed four and wounded a number of Rebels that they felt of
Pope's infantry came up to-day in force and relieved them. Paine's division was
advanced and when not more than 40 yards beyond the post our cavalry held, were
opened on first by musketry and immediately afterwards by artillery. There was
very heavy firing for an half hour, but it has ceased since I commenced this
page. Haven't heard the result. We have orders to move forward to-morrow
morning, but although we are so close to the enemy's position, (not more than
three miles) (Infantry, of course, I mean) don't think our side will commence
the attack before Monday morning, when we will see — sure — if they don't run.
Supper. — Some of our boys have just come in with a lot of
overcoats, trinkets, etc., spoils of the afternoon skirmish. They were all
Illinois regiments that were engaged. A sergeant has just showed me an overcoat
that he stripped off a dead secesh, who with eleven others was lying in one
pile. He captured a captain who, after he had thrown down his sword, offered to
give him a fist fight. The artillery firing was mostly from Rebel guns at
Farmington at a regiment of our boys building a bridge. The Northern
Mississippi line runs through our camp. We cannot be far form Iuka Springs,
although no one that I've seen ever heard of the place. Report has just come
that Mitchell has been driven out of Huntsville, and another that Yorktown and
45,000 prisoners are ours. Don't believe either. Shall write you from Corinth
if have luck.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 84-6
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