msimmons
Sergeant
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2012
- Location
- Okla. City
Camp 21st Illinois Vol., 2nd Brigade, 1st Division Right Wing, Army of the Cumberland, near Murfreesboro Jan., 28, 1863 Charles Welliver, Esq., I have not heard from you since I left Tuscola but suppose you are well and doing well. Martin was here but left while I was on picket duty. I wanted to send a letter to you by him. He said you had not rented the land when he left you.Make such disposition as you think best. I wish you would request M.V.B. Reed to place a roof over my corn or haul it up home and put in the crib. Money, I have none to send you but will send when Iget paid. I see by the papers that the President has signed a bill for the issue of one hundred million dollars legal tender, worth 50 cts. to the dollar. I don't know how much or how little I will receive, but if paid what is due me I can send you seven hundred dollars, equal to three hundred and fifty dollars.If you can buy railroad land with the money at its face, you can do so.I want 80 acres of good prairie land for my son William Daniel Reed. You can select it for him, but wait till you get the money. Then buy the land. Since I last saw you we have fought a great battle and won a great victory. The 21st regiment lost a greater number in killed and wounded than any regiment in this army corps. The regiment went into action with 662 men on Tuesday evening ,the 30th of December. The 21st Illinois and the 15th Wisconsin made a charge on a battery and about 5 to 1 in infantry posted behind breastworks. We had to retire, the 21st losing 132 men in the charge. I went into the fight on the 30th with 65 men, losing in two days 34 men killed and wounded, one missing, losing over half our number. The Regiment lost 303. General Rosecrans has complimented our regiment very highly. He says the 21st Illinois has the brightest record of all the regiments in his command. We supported the battery of our brigade, not losing a gun. Our men had to take one gun off the field by hand. Our brigade and division commands are raising a breeze about their reports of the battle. Let them rip. Your son, Sergeant John Welliver is well and talks fluently about Samuel F. Bouderant and Aaron Britton not being in the fight.You can guess the balance. John has returned from the 79th Illinois.He says every man in that regiment he talked with killed a colonel. Wm. Smallwood died the 14th and Corporal Jacob Good, the 23rd of wounds received in battle. One by one they go.Will the good people of Douglas send men enough to fill my company?I know they will. I have 40 men for duty. One more battle and we will be out of service. My respects to Mrs. Welliver. Yours, B.F. Reed
*this is another letter of my G-G-Grandfather to his friend and neighbor who was helping take care of his farm and business interests.-John Welliver who is mentioned in the letter was taken prisoner at Chickamauga and survived Andersonville only to die in the General Lyons disaster.
Bringing the