Mud Creek Cove, Jackson
County, Ala.
December 8, 1863.
I was at Stevenson yesterday and put a letter in the office
for you, but with my accustomed shrewdness failed to either stamp or frank it.
It graphically described the gallant exploits of the detachment I have the
honer to command during the past three weeks, and its loss will be deplored in
common with the other heavy losses of this “cruel war.” I can now but give you
the topics it discussed or elaborated, and leave to your imagination the
finishing and stringing together the skeleton. First and foremost, stealing
horses; second, defying bravely the tears and entreaties of helpless women, and
taking their last measure of meal and rasher of bacon; third, the splendid
conduct of our regiment and brigade at the late Mission Ridge fight; fourth,
reflections. Do you remember, how, after the evacuation of Corinth one and
one-half years ago, Halleck thought the rebellion virtually ended? And how many
of the soldiers wrote home that they expected to be mustered out within three
months? Then Halleck sent Buell with half of the army toward Chattanooga,
Sherman and Hurlburt to Memphis, McClernand and Logan to Jackson, Tennessee;
kept some four divisions at Corinth, and with three others opened and guarded
95 miles of railroad east to Decatur. That was what he called letting the army
enjoy the rest they had earned by their glorious victory. The whole of the
splendid army that had forced the Rebels to leave Corinth, was divided,
subdivided and the subdivisions divided until, except Buell’s, there was hardly
a detachment left strong enough to hold its own against any overgrown band of
guerrillas. The result you know. Buell's retreat with his heavy losses of
detachments at Munfordsville, etc., our evacuation of the M. & C. R. R. between
Memphis and Corinth, the driving in of our guards from Decatur to Corinth, and
the fight there in October which we gained only because our side weighed only
one ounce the most; and finally they shut us up in Memphis, Bolivar, Corinth
and Nashville so closely that foraging parties hardly dared venture ten miles
from the siege guns, and there our army stayed until relieved by “500,000 more.”
I don't like to slander so great and noble a man as Grant, by insinuating that
he has any notion similar to Halleck’s, but what I have seen with my naked eye,
and heard from good authority with my uncovered ears, makes me think he has in
his opinion at the Lookout, Mission Ridge, Ringgold fight, bursted the
rebellion to flinders. I know that Sherman with six divisions has gone to
Knoxville. John E. Smith's and Osterhaus' divisions are at Bridgeport on their
way to Huntsville or Decatur. Some 12 companies of artillery, (nearly enough
for a corps) went to Nashville yesterday, and Hooker with the nth and 12th
Corps, are going back to the Potomac. Does that sound anything like active forward
movements? And don't it sound exactly like Halleck's disposition of the army
after he got Corinth? I predict that no good will come from scattering the army
in this way, and much harm. Bragg has fallen back to Dalton, only 25 or 30
miles from Chattanooga, and 15 less than Beauregard ran from Corinth. The Rebel
cavalry are already driving in our foragers at Chattanooga. That's all I have
to say about the matter. Our regiment, brigade and division have gone with
Sherman to Burnside's relief. They are probably at Knoxville now. All accounts
agree that the regiment behaved splendidly; and Fulton county ought to either
disown her soldiers or quit disgracing them by her d-----sh copperheadism. You
didn't have any fears for my safety when you heard of the fight, did you? Of
course you knew I wouldn't be there. I heard three days before the fight that
it would probably open Sunday or Monday. Tuesday I was out in the Cumberland
mountains, near Paint Rock, some 50 miles from Chattanooga, when suddenly we
heard the sound of cannonading. I thought of our regiment being in the fight
and my company away, and cursed my luck to the best of my ability. I never
expect to be in a battle. Being shot by a guerrilla is as good as I will
probably get. It is strange that there was only the one vicinity in which we
could hear the firing that day, and 25 miles nearer the scene of action they
were unable to hear it. We are meeting with good success hunting horses. We
only lack about 200 of having enough to mount the brigade and will have them by
the time they get back from Knoxville. My men were never as healthy as now. My
old convalescent “stand-bys” now walk into their double rations of fresh meat
and corn pone tremendously, and do their share of duty splendidly. For four
weeks we have had nothing to eat but corn bread and fresh pork. I am beginning
to like it. It positively does taste better every day, and I destroy immense
quantities. When reading about the elephant browsing upon the tree tops, did
you ever imagine what an awful crashing he would make? That's about like the
smash I make among the spareribs and hoecake. I thought that when they set me
up as horse thief, that my measure was filled, that earth had nothing left too
bitter for me to quaff or “chaw.” But last night a draught was put to my lips
of which I drank, and lo, I am undone. Can't look an honest man in the face.
Fortunately there are no honest men in this command, so I am spared the
mortification of turning my eyes. I was sent out to steal sheep. Can't call
taking aught from these poor miserable citizen devils here anything but
stealing. I made a pretty good haul. They go to the front to-day; I expect for
hospital use. Of course we have to take them, but these citizens are on the
verge of bankruptcy as far as eating is concerned. Saw Bill and Davis Trites at
Bridgeport two days since. All right. Had just got back with their division
from Chattanooga. Were both well. Captain Walsh, who was killed, was one of the
finest officers in our regiment. I had formed a strong attachment for him, and
mourn his loss as a dear friend and splendid fellow. His company, in camp,
joins mine on the left and we were more intimate than I was with any other
officer in this command.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 202-5