Headquarters Second Brigade,
Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps,
January 14, 1863.
My Dear Wife:
You have heard of our last battle, and this will give you
the assurance of my safety. My brigade behaved splendidly. I had ninety-three
officers and men killed and wounded; among them, Captain Yeoman, senior captain
and in command of my old 54th, had his right arm shattered, since amputated.
The 54th has lost pretty heavily in both the last engagements. She's a gallant
little regiment, the men true as steel. Indeed, my command is most emphatically
a fighting brigade. The day was beautiful after we had got fairly on the
ground, and the spectacle was splendidly imposing as my forces made the charge.
You must understand, that this post, heretofore called “Post Arkansas,” but
christened by the rebels “Fort Hyndman,” is situated upon the Arkansas River
about sixty miles above the mouth. The country about where the Arkansas empties
into the Mississippi is flat and intersected with bayous and cutoffs; one of
these leads into White River, and our fleet having rendezvoused at the mouth of
White River, we sailed up that stream to one of these cutoffs, and through that
to the Arkansas and up the Arkansas to a point three miles below the fort. Here
we threw troops across the river to intercept reinforcements to the enemy, but
the main army debarked on the side on which the fort is situated, and
immediately commenced the line of march; directly as we were en route, the
enemy began to throw their shell among us, which were returned by our gunboats,
while the infantry steadily pursued their way. About a mile from the point of
debarkation, we came upon their rifle-pits from which they had recently fled,
and where we found their fires still burning and cornbread still warm. The term
rifle-pit means a long ditch or trench, sometimes extending for many miles,
with a barricade of logs or rails or sometimes willows or canes, to hold the earth
in position, which ought to be in embankment at least four feet broad at the
top. Behind this embankment, troops stand sheltered and in line firing at
advancing forces. I make this explanation because many suppose rifle-pits to be
holes in the ground.
Well as we advanced, the enemy abandoned their defences and
after some slight skirmishing, retreated to the fort, from which was now
commenced terrific cannonading. A little before sundown, other troops having
marched around to the other side, and rear of the fort, it became my duty to
advance my brigade to a point immediately in front of one of their batteries,
and having put the troops in line of battle, I was ordered to advance them and
draw the enemy's fire; this I did with such effect as to cost me fourteen men,
among whom was Captain Yeoman. Under their fire we lay until nightfall, and
indeed all night. The next morning, at the break of day, we were ordered to the
right and to a point nearly in front of their main fortifications, and here we
lay again, under shell, until one o'clock, when I was ordered to storm the
works; I wish I could fully explain to you the position of the ground, and must
make some faint attempt at it, so you can appreciate the movements of my
troops. The original fort is an hundred years old, and was erected as a defence
against the Indians; considered one of the strongest forts in the U. S. Being
upon a bluff it was supposed to command the bend of the river with three
immense cannon, throwing respectively 110-, 100-, and 85-pound shot and shell;
besides these, were fifteen pivot guns, having range at any given point. These
are in the fort itself, a most scientifically constructed work, capable of
holding, crowded, fifteen hundred men. From one side of this fort, and running
westwardly, was a line of breastwork extending to the river-side somewhat thus:
Now you will imagine my forces lying in the woods to the
eastward, say half a mile, at the time of my receiving the order to storm, and
you will imagine all of this ground north of the fort and breastworks, a
beautiful level plain, a little ascending to the fort and spacious enough to
admit of three regiments in line, and the day to be as bright and beautiful as
ever gladdened the heart of man, and then imagine, if you can, my brigade
deploying from the woods just in the rear of General Sherman, and firing
exactly as you see in the diagram, with ten brave banners fluttering in the
breeze and gilded by the sun. Recollect, each regiment has a banner and a
regimental flag, such a banner as you saw for the 54th, and the U. S. flag, the
stars and stripes. As a military display, I never saw it equalled. The troops
were formed under a perfect hurricane of shot and shell, the breastworks and
rifle-pits were lined thick with the enemy. We formed, advanced, and the
official reports will give you the rest. Their white flag went up, and I
leaped, or got my horse over somehow or other. I don't know exactly how, for it
was a wicked-looking place when I surveyed it the next morning, and by order of
the commanding general caused four thousand men, prisoners of war, to ground
arms by my order. I marshalled them behind the breastworks, while my troops
stood on the ramparts. The enemy fought most gallantly, with a most
unparalleled obstinacy. The ground inside the fortif1cations was piled with
corpses and strewn thick with mangled limbs. The fort was torn all to pieces.
The muzzle of the 110-pound gun was shot off. A shell of ours must have entered
the very muzzle. These descriptions you will get from the professional writers,
and in this instance all their word painting will hardly be an exaggeration of
the truth.
I have reason to thank God; for a little while this, to me,
was the hardest-fought battle I have been in, and the whistle of bullets and
shrieking of shells are sounds familiar in my ears as household words. This,
however, is my first real action at the point of the bayonet and the muzzle of
the gun. The feeling is very thrilling; nobody but the victor on the
battlefield can appreciate the very madness of joy. I made speeches to my new
regiments; the enthusiasm was tremendous. My old veterans are seasoned and take
things quietly, but my 83d Indiana and 127th Illinois were carried up to the
seventh heaven.
I suppose it is small and mean, but there is a flattery, an
adulation, a praise coming from the mouths of these soldiers that is very dear
to me, and not from them alone. I must confess I want it from my country.
“If we are marked to die, we are
enough
To do our country loss; and if to
live,
The fewer men the greater share of
honor.
God’s will! I pray thee wish not
one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for
gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my
cost;
It grieves me not if men my
garments wear.
Such outward things dwell not in
my desires;
But if it be a sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul
alive.”
I must hope for justice to my name, for my dear children's
sake. If it is tardy in coming, or wholly withheld, I still have a satisfaction
in the possession of the affection of these troops. Ohio in all her counties is
well represented. Illinois and Indiana fairly. Many a family throughout a vast
breadth will learn who led their brother, or husband, or son, at Chickasas
[sic], and Vicksburg, or Post Arkansas.
The conduct of my command was under the immediate eye of the
generals. My own official report is therefore very brief. I would amplify more
to you now if I did not suppose I should be duplicating what you will probably
have read in the newspapers, before this letter comes to hand.
The incidents of our life, thrilling enough in the start,
soon become an old story; at least, we think nothing of them and suppose they
have lost interest to our friends. I might tell how, leaving the boat in the
expectation of an immediate fight, and, therefore, taking nothing with me in
the way of nourishment or extra clothing, I stood by the head of, or sat on, my
horse all the night long, the first night out, the shells coursing their fiery
flight through the darkness and bursting over my head; how eagerly I watched
for the streaks of dawn ; how all the day I fainted for a drop of water ; how
the wounded and the dead lay all around me; of the captures I made in the way
of prisoners and horses (individually, I mean), of the ludicrous scenes in the
field — for strange as it may seem to you, there is always something to laugh
at even on the battlefield — but this has been told over and over again; I
cannot paint pain and anguish, and disappointment and dismay and death. They
must be seen as I have seen them to be understood; they can never be described.
We occupied the fort for two days and then re-embarked, and,
after a little, shall sail down the Arkansas to the mouth, where we expect to
rendezvous with other troops from Grant's army. From thence, I suppose, to
Vicksburg, to try them again with a much larger force. There’ll be many a
bloody fight before Vicksburg surrenders, in my judgment; her natural position
is immensely strong, and she is thoroughly fortified, well provisioned, and
well manned. We have vague news from Rosecrans; nothing, however, reliable; if
one half of what we hear be true, and his success as great as represented,
that, joined to our late victory here, may have a demoralizing effect upon the
Southern army, and cause them to capitulate at Vicksburg. Many of the soldiers
we found here claimed that their time was up, and that they would have left in
a few days. However that may be, one thing is certain, they will dispute every
inch of ground as long as there is a man among them capable of bearing arms. It’s
no rebellion, it’s revolution, and a more united people you never heard of or
read of. Recollect what I used to say before the first gun in this war was
fired, and for many months afterwards, how I used to talk to my friends, when
they would prate about the South and its resources — a matter of which they had
not the slightest conception. I propose to fight the fight out, at least as
long as I have a right hand to draw the sabre.
I notice in reading my letter over, that I have not
explained there were two sets of works or rifle-pits, the first about a mile
and a half beyond the line of fortifications. I mean the outside lines, and the
first we encountered. They were on the north and east.
The four thousand prisoners surrendered to me, of whom I
speak, were only a portion of those within the fortifications; the residue
being inside the fort and at other points. We took seven thousand prisoners and
eight thousand stand of arms.
I speak of the representation in my brigade. I suppose there
is scarcely a county in Ohio from which some men have not been recruited for
the old 54th; the 57th is made up from the Hooppole region and the northwest.
The 55th and 127th Illinois were both picked regiments, and came from all over
the State. The 83d Indiana was recruited near Lawrenceburg and the tier of
counties bordering Ohio. So you see I have gone over good space for infantry.
My batteries are from Chicago and my cavalry from Illinois.
My boat is under way; she, of course, is the flagship of my
fleet of six. It used to be quite a thing when I was a boy to command a
steamboat. I have the sublime honor of commanding six, some of them very heavy,
fine boats. Just before leaving, I went to pay my wounded a visit. Poor
fellows, I found them in all stages of suffering, but all cheery, game to the
last. My poor Captain Yeoman sat holding up his poor stump of an arm. I could
hardly keep the tears back. The boat was crowded and they were bringing
stretchers in all the time I was there. I hope the poor fellows will get good
attention when they arrive at home. The Sanitary Commissioners have done
nothing for us. The living for the wounded and the weak is the hardest that can
be imagined — no wine, no brandy, no nourishing food. The fresh beef from
starved sick cattle that have been brought upon the steamboat, the bacon,
potatoes, bad; nothing fit to eat but beans, and I’ve lived on beans till I
loathe the sight of them. What our poor wounded are to do, God only knows. I
gave them all the money I had, and all I could borrow, but a good many of them
will see hell before they die.
As I write, the weather, which was beautiful and warm,
changes to rain and then cold, and now as we sail down the river, we are in a
violent snowstorm. The river is wide, and winding, and beautiful, lined with
the canebrake and cotton tree and now and then a fine plantation. The water is
not fit to drink, being impregnated with soda and salts, that causes it to
operate badly. Population is sparse upon its banks so far as we have gone.
I received two copies of your little poem, and wish you
would send me some more. It was very much admired. I showed it to Stuart one
day in the field before Vicksburg. We were waiting breakfast early in the
morning. He insisted on reading it through, and cried like a baby as he read
it. You must send me some more copies.
We are nearing the mouth of the river and soon shall be
again on the broad Mississippi.
SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of
Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 258-64
