Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
I must give you the hard news first. I found myself the recipient of a wound this weekend last. As I have written before, the War does not wait or pause for the Lords Sabbath. You must take heart, the surgeon says that I shall recover. With but a little time for rest I will soon be back among my gallant comrades.
It is unbearably hot here in the secesh states, you might think the Lord himself wishes us to work hard for our victory. I think the Mosquitoes are upon the Secesh side as they make it hot for us on picket duty. Our foes are a hard sort but can be gallant at times as well. Saturday last there was a skirmish where our Cavalry cut a telegraph line and captured perhaps a score of secesh soldiers. The Secesh civilians had the Cavalry hang a murderer who had been hiding among them. A man hanged is not a pleasant site to see. The Secesh prisoners were a sullen lot and we should have taken heed to their warnings that we could not take Vicksburg by direct assault. In the afternoon, we attempted an assault on their works. I do not know how many men were involved but the loss was grievous. We were well supported by field guns and they seemed to do frightful demonstration among the enemy works. Two Companies of the Regiment were deployed as skirmishers and we managed to drive in the enemy pickets. Yet, when we crested a small hill the enemy opened on us with a hitherto unknown gun with telling effect.
Some of the men broke and ran but they were only a few; most showed their mettle and fought with brave resolve. I was near our second Sergeant when he was killed. He was standing fire with us one moment and on the ground the next. One of our Corporals was also wounded; I saw him wandering as though his wits were lost. The surgeon called it a concussion. A private next to me refused to withdraw when the order came to fall back and had to be dragged from the field by a Corporal. Corporal Steele, who took a grazing shot to the leg, came back from the Surgeon station and fought on in the line. Another Private who was shot in the head came back into the fight as well, the brave fellow fell out and died on the field when we withdrew later. We managed to silence the gun but Secesh Infantry rallied to its support. It was then that we seemed to take the most casualties. Two Captains and a Lieutenant were mortally wounded and the Colonel was struck in the arm. Along with our second Sergeant, that was a most heartfelt loss. The Colonel and both Captains were hard in the fight and did not flinch at the danger. I am proud to serve beside men such as those and hope that their replacements will be as gallant.
Young Private Phillip did good service as a runner braving the fire several times to take messages from the skirmish line to the artillery. He is well and you should tell his mother he is serving proudly. I am not certain of his father as I have not seen him since the battle and fear the worst. Young Phillip is quiet and did not eat anything at our Sunday dinner. I suspect he fears the worst for his father as well. You must speak to the families of Private Gavin and Alex; they did their families proud standing the line through the hottest fire.
Fear not the outcome of the siege, the city cannot hold for long. Our pickets tell me that the secesh are trying to trade tobacco for salt pork. I rather suspect they will be eating rats and dogs by Independence Day. General Grant has drawn a tight noose about the city and General Johnston has little chance of breaking the siege. With leaders, the like of Generals Grant and Sherman I think we shall win this war soon. Since I joined the fighting, we have suffered no real defeats.
The wife of Corporal Steele feeds us well. I am sometimes frightened to ask where from she conjures forth the food we enjoy so much. Mrs. Steele and her daughter ride in a Mormon cart at the end of the column as we march. We have been eating many goober peas of late and have grown fond of them. Corporal Steele is a fortunate man to have a wife and child with him. I know I enjoy the antics of his young daughter Myra. She is everywhere underfoot but is always smiling and happy to see whichever soldier she meets. It raises the heart.
Your Brother
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
It has been a few weeks since my last letter home to you. I have recovered from my wound and have received a clean bill of health by the surgeon. I have spent the last while in what is called a U.O. Battalion. The U.O. means "Unassigned Others" and is made up of men who are recovered enough from wounds to do light duty, men returning from leaves and furloughs or detachments that have not yet found themselves returned to their Regiments. On Sunday there were several different Companies camped there; all were from different Regiments. There were perhaps a dozen other men like myself recovering from wounds. There were also about a dozen men from the artillery; I believe they were returning from a furlough but I am not certain.
Corporal Steele was the only other man from our Regiment present in the Battalion. There was a Company present from an Iowa Regiment and another from a Regiment of Regulars. All told, I think we mustered perhaps two hundred men. There was also a General present, I did not speak with him, but Corporal Steele and his family set their tent next to the man. I know Mrs. Steele fed him at least twice and I saw little Myra in the Generals lap for a while.
We were camped about a mile north of a small Secesh town. It is a wonderful place as there are no Mosquitoes and there is an almost constant light breeze. Our tents were well shaded and only out of the shade for a few hours a day. I firmly believe that this campsite speeded my recovery.
On Sunday Afternoon we were informed by a detachment of Cavalry that part of a Louisiana Regiment was present in force only about five miles away. The General requisitioned a passing battery of artillery, the U.O. Battalion and the Cavalry Troop. We went hunting Rebs... and found more than we bargained for. There were perhaps two Companies of Secesh in support of a 3" Ordinance Rifle. I am not sure what they were doing there, but we had a good scrap. We formed line near the edge of a forest and watched the artillery battery swing into position and immediately start a hot fire on the Secesh. The Cavalry provided a screen as we moved into position. The Rebs made it quite hot for us as we advanced; several men found themselves wounded, including Corporal Steele. We were slightly below the Reb position in a small swell of the ground and much of the Secesh rifle fire was high. For a while it sounded as though we were under a nest of angry hornets. We pressed the Rebs three times but they managed to hold their position. We withdrew a few hours after first being greeted by the Secesh. There must have been something wrong with the Reb Cannon as it fired only occasionally and with no effect. They kept trying to flank us but the Artillery would wheel a light gun in their faces and give them a dose of canister. The Iowa Battery used grape and canister to telling effect on the Rebs.
There were perhaps a dozen men from the U.O. killed and three or four from the Cavalry. Twenty or so men were wounded. Most were from the Iowa Company. The General was wounded slightly in the arm. Little Sister you will not believe this but one of the Iowa wounded turned out to be a Woman! She was shot in the arm. When the surgeon cut open her sack coat, he found a bit more than he bargained for! She was placed under arrest and will be sent home. Her comrades were struck dumb by the revelation. I must admit I was completely fooled as I had spoken with her the night before the battle and had no suspicion that she was anything more than a fresh faced boy.
I saw Corporal Steele in the hospital after the fight; he will have to see a Parson when he gets better as he was cursing in at least three different languages. One of the nurses who had been abroad blushed beet red and I thought she would have a fainting spell from his colorful language. A spent ball had stuck in his forearm but the surgeon was able to save it. He is well; though I expect, he will be on light duty again for a while. The Surgeon that worked on him said that he was no longer allowed alcohol as it had taken far too much chloroform to sedate him.
I hope to be back with the Regiment by the time you receive this letter. Therefore, Little Sister you must not worry about me. We are well fed and have few wants but letters from home. So, please endeavor to write me again with news from home.
Your Brother
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
The weather has been wet and cold so much so that I spent the last three days wet clean to the bone it seems. There was a frightful storm Friday last, I was returning from the sinks and had just gotten back to sleep when a tremendous thunderclap shook me from my slumber. It rained heavily and the wind howled but our tent stayed upright. I admit I was a bit worried that the wind might carry us away but I put my trust in the Lord and here I am writing to you, so I do not doubt that the lord protected me.
We arrived in Woodville, Alabama Thursday eve least after a hard march. Myself, Corporal Steele, our Second Sergeant and the Captain along with Mrs. Steele have been attempting to find a group of Minnesota soldiers who were to have joined the Regiment most of a month ago, there was a rumor that reached the Captain that they were waiting us in Woodville. That rumor proved to be false, and the Captain ordered us to await him and went on to Bridgeport and perhaps as far as Chatanooga, he is hungering for those new men as the Company has been badly reduced by disease and battle. The Regiment can muster only about three hundred men and many of us are a sorry looking lot as we have been short of supplies and pay since September. In Woodville we were paid, though only a month of wages was presented us we did not shun it. I have included ten dollars for you with this letter, I hope that helps you and the family some. If I kept it I would merely spend it on sutlers wares that are priced near to robbery. We were lucky to find some mail that was destined for us, the Sergeant received a long letter I think from his sweetheart. One young Iowa soldier received a letter sent to “Any Soldier of the Iowa Brigade,” I heard him reading part of it to Corporal Steele. Another Private, a young boy that Steele says cannot be a day over sixteen, received a letter from a lawyer and it turned out to be that of a Copperhead encouraging him to desert the cause. There was some hard talk about the Copperheads.
We were billeted with a Company of the Iowa Brigade and they were quite hospitable to us; they replaced our hard crackers with soft bread and augmented out salt pork with fairly fresh vegetables and gravy. There were several women in the camp visiting their husbands, Mrs. Steele was able to talk with members of the fairer sex for the first time in a long while. In thanks she presented a batch of sweetened fry bread to those who had made us Minnesota boys so welcome. She also made some bread pudding and an apple and salt pork dish that made the mouth water.
A steady stream of supply wagons arrived on Friday, they had been delayed by the terrible storm that morning. One teamster said that the mud was to the hubs of his wagon. The mules in the corral greeted each team and were remarkably well behaved. It seems like many at home forget that the Army mule is what keeps this army moving. They haul the food we eat, clothes we wear and ammunition we use. Yet they are the most unappreciated beast alive; however, they never complain. Steele says he rode a mule across more than half of North Africa and that they had better stamina than horses. I do not know enough to believe him and I will not call him a liar.
On Saturday we went on a foraging detail led by an Iowa Corporal. Mrs. Steele caused quite a row with her husband, demanding that he pay for anything he took. I think she believed him a thief. The two do not agree upon how the Rebels should be treated. I have decided to reserve my opinion. We met a pair of sisters on the edge of town, one woman claimed to be a loyal supporter of the Union and the other a loyal Confederate. Judging from the condition of their larder I do not believe their ploy has worked for either Army. Though I saw no evidence that the home had been visited by rebel soldiers both Corporal Steele and the Iowa Corporal said they knew they were around. Corporal Steele seemed to think all of the tracks going to and from the empty smokehouse were not ladies tracks. The Corporal tried to walk out with some silver and another Private confiscated a blanket; but I think you would be proud of Mr. Steele, he took nothing and when one of the ladies said something that riled the Iowa Corporal he kept that Corporal from doing something he would have regretted. A Sergeant from the Provost detachment arrived and chased us away from the ladies home, they demanded a guard, none was provided.
Our Second Sergeant was asked to act as the Sergeant of the guard. He did our Regiment proud. That night I had been chosen to walk the pickett line as one of the Iowa boys had been brought low with dysentery. I was glad to be on the line as I could hear the cries of a man being treated by the surgeons, he must have been wounded earlier as there had been no skirmishing that I knew of. I did not see him later so I do not believe he survived the tender mercies of the surgeon. While I have been wounded slightly twice, I would gladly forgo the attentions of the surgeon. Corporal Steele calls the surgeon the Angel of Death... I fear it is an apt name. A Pioneer from one of the Iowa Regiments was most certainly a skilled craftsman, he was busily making chairs, tent pegs and a rounders bat. All of his work was first rate and accomplished with great competence.
We had much discussion about what would happen in the spring, my own belief is that we will advance deeper into Alabama freeing the Union men of the state from the Rebellion. Corporal Steele and several others believe we will follow the rails to Atlanta and beyond to the heart of treason, Columbia and finally Charleston. He believes that the only way to defeat the Rebellion is to show the rebels that they cannot hope to win. We all agree that there is much hard fighting left to be done.
Fear not the outcome of this Rebellion, the war cannot last for long. The rebels are short of everything and we see deserters on a regular basis. The Iowa unit we are billeted with had a deserter on Sunday after Church. He was the private who stole the blanket. There was no attempt to catch him, several of the Iowa men say that he will return, as he is a good man that would not wish to abandon his friends in a time of need.
We marched out on Sunday as word reached us that the Captain was waiting us a few miles down the road. It will be good to rejoin the Regiment. It is good that we have men such as those from Iowa in the Army, they are good men and have proven themselves to be worthy soldiers.
I eagerly wait a letter from you, please write soon. I hope that you might include some pickles, a good homespun shirt and perhaps a pair of good socks.
God Bless and keep you little sister.
Your Brother
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
ok Dawna, here they are, Tok me a little while to unjumble them... enjoy. I will post more as I dig them out and perhaps will have my wife write up some...
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
Very nice Shane. You are very eloquent. It takes allot of research and understanding of the Victorian language to pull off letters like those. Thanks for sharing.
I know. Isn't it funny? Well, their busy talking of war and politics, and whether the light bulb was changed by a Southerner or a Northerner and whether it was the right of the Southerner to do it or if it broke and constitutional laws. Their research lies elsewhere. But the live's of women was very hard during that time, and I think sometimes our men here forget that. They kept it together, like Edward had stated. So thank you for that one there
I remember reading a note referring to a pair of Iowa men home on furlough watching two women hitched to a plow and another young woman handling the plow. The two men were quick to offer assistance but the women refused! Their reason was simply that they were doing what they could for the men in the war and they wouldn't allow a soldier to do their work. The two men pooled their monies and bought a mule for the women...
That is the kind of devotion, pride and sacrifice that I think is a foreign concept to us today.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
This is an incomplete excerpt from a northern Missouri wife to her husband, due to the jumbling of the letter I cleaned up the grammer and punctuation as best as I could I also ommited the dozen or so biblical verses... it is not the original by any means only a poor facsimile. These are the kinds of letters I based mine upon. Michael was in a Missouri Cav unit and died of dysentery in the summer of 64. His wife and child survived the war. IIRC I read and copied this from a the original in the Hannibal Missouri Historical society.
My dearest Michael
You must not think of deserting your post to return home, you honor your name and your son by your service to the grand old flag. I know that you have thought of deserting to return to your loving wife and son, you must not for I do not belive I could live with the shame of a cowardly husband. It is true that things at home are very bad. Neighbors are hating neighbors and Union soldiers are everywhere hating everyone. They do good service fighting the scum that call themselves Rebels, but at times they are almost as much of a scourge as the rebal raiders. Do you remember the old widow Mrs Santy? Two guerillas broke into her home and stole all of her jewlery and silver. If that was not evil enogh they took her house negro, poor little Sarah, and treated her badly. She is very poorly after their attentions, she can barely move as they beat her so badly Mrs Santy thinks she may die. If that were not bad enough the bastard Union soldiers who came to the house accused Mrs Santy of being a Rebel because she owned slaves! This after she was robbed and her maid mistreated. A couple of the local boys, including a young man I know thinks Jeff Davis a saint, think they know who did this terrible crime and have promised to make things right; I believe they will.
The papers say you are outside of Atlanta, and that it is a terrible place with men dieing every day. I have sent a package including pickled asparagus and turnip chutney, I hope you like them. They are wrapped in a pair of fathers socks that I mended and sent on to you. You asked for a shirt and a pair of drawers but I could not afford the cloth needed for such a project. I am working at the harness shop, Joseph pays me .75 cents a week and lets us live in the back of his shop. He gives me leather bits which I have been making into rope and laces which I send to Hannibal for extra money.
You will stay well and make your son proud, I cherish your daugertype adn kiss it each night before I sleep.
Your Loving Wife Moira
(Message edited by johan steele on September 22, 2004)
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
Linear Mode
