Two miles south of the
Gordon's Mills crossing of the Chickamauga,
May 7, 1864, 12 m.
We started at 8 this morning and made this by 11. We are now
waiting for two or more divisions of the 16th Corps to file into the road ahead
of us. I think they are coming from Ringold. A circular of McPherson's was read
to us this morning before starting, telling us we were about to engage the
enemy and giving us some advice about charging, meeting charges, shooting low,
and telling us not to quit out lines to carry back wounded, etc., and
intimating that he expected our corps to occupy a very warm place in the fight,
and to sustain the fighting reputation of the troops of the department of the
Tennessee.
The men talk about hoping that the divisions now going ahead
will finish the fighting before we get up, but I honestly believe they'd all
rather get into a battle than not. It is fun to hear these veterans talk. I
guess that about two-thirds of them got married when they were home. Believe it
will do much toward steadying them down when they return to their homes. They
almost all say that they had furlough enough and were ready to start back when
their 30 days were up.
It is hot as the deuce; two of our men were sun struck at
Lookout Mountain on the 3rd.
Dust is becoming very troublesome. I am marching in a
badly-fitting pair of boots, and one of my feet is badly strained across the
instep, pains me a good deal when resting. That and my sprained wrist make me
almost a subject for the Invalid Corps, but I intend to carry them both as far
as Atlanta, after our “Erring Brethren,” if I have no further bad luck. One of
my men, when he rolled up his blanket this morning, found he had laid on a
snake, and killed him—poor snake!
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 235-6
