Cape Girardeau, February 9, 1862. I, like a good boy, wrote you a long letter yesterday, and, like a careless fellow, lost it. I told you in it how we “300” of us, left here in the p.m. of last Monday, rode all night and at daylight made a desperate charge into Bloomfield where we [...]
Headquarters, 3d Battalion, 7th Illinois Cavalry, February 3, 1862. I am pretty sure that we will start on a scout to-morrow that will give us a ride of 150 miles. From the knowledge I have of it believe that we are going to raise the devil before we get back or get raised ourselves. There [...]
Bird’s Point, Mo., January 13, 1862. After all the excitement and promise we have had of a trip into Dixie, we are still here in our cabins, with the prospect of a move further off than ever. The 25,000 troops that are “on their way from St. Louis to Cairo” must have went up in [...]
Bird’s Point, January 10, 1862. Since daylight yesterday morning we have been all ready with five days’ rations and expecting every moment the orders to fall in and commence a march. We were delayed untill 11 a.m. to-day by a fog so dense that boats could not run even from Cairo to this point. All [...]
Bird’s Point, January 5, 1862. We received the box of provisions to-day in very good order considering the length of time they have been knocked about on the route. It came by freight by some mistake or other. The doughnuts were the only articles spoiled. They had moulded. I sent the box over from Cairo [...]
January 2, 1862. We’ve waited patiently until after New Year for the box of provisions, and nary box yet. Have given it up for a goner. We’re just as much obliged to you as though we had received it. We haven’t yet eaten all the tomatoes, etc., that came with the quilts. Partly because we [...]
Bird’s Point, December 29, 1861. Your letter giving us notice of your sending a box came to hand yesterday with express charges inclosed. I shall go over to Cairo to-morrow to get them if they are there. I haven’t been to Cairo for a month. All of the 7th cavalry are on this side now [...]
Bird’s Point, Mo., December 22, 1861. This is a dark, dismal, snowy and confoundedly disagreeable Sunday. Cold, sloppy and nasty! We moved into our cabin last night but it is not finished yet, as a crack along the comb of the roof and sundry other airholes abundantly testify. The half snow half rain comes in [...]
Bird’s Point, Mo., December 11, 1861. Our cavalry brought in 16 prisoners to-night, about 10 last night; a band of Thompson’s men took a couple of boys from our regiment prisoners, out 10 miles from here at the water tank on the railroad. The owner of the house happened to be outside when they surrounded [...]
Monday, December 2, 1861. While I was writing last night there really was a Rebel gunboat came up the river and fired into Fort Holt. Impudent, wasn’t it? The Fort replied, and Fort Cairo also shot a couple of shells over our heads toward the rascals, but they fell short. We could see the troops [...]
Bird’s Point, Mo., December 1, 1861. This, the beginning of winter, is the warmest and altogether the most pleasant day we have had for several weeks. During our whole trip to Bloomfield and back we had splendid weather, but ever since our return it has been at least very unsplendid. The climax was reached day [...]
Bird’s Point, Mo., November 24, 1861. Sabbath morning, 10 o’clock. I’m in clover. I’ve got a great big “comfort,” weighs a ton, that has been sent to my partner and myself from a young lady in Bloomington. We’ve tramped so much since I received that pair of blankets from you, and we never know when [...]
Bird’s Point, November 20, 1861 Part of Pitt’s (Col. W. Pitt Kellogg’s) cavalry are here. We are glad to see them as it will relieve us of considerable picket duty. But otherwise cavalry are of not much service in this brushy, swampy country. That fox of a Jeff Thompson that we chased down to New [...]
Bird’s Point, November 13, 1861. Home once more. We all call this home now. Just as we landed last night the Iowa 7th was forming for dress parade. One company had but 11 and another but 15 men; all that came out of the Belmont fight safely. Other companies had half and some three-fourths of [...]
Cape Girardeau, November 11, 1861. We have just arrived here after a week’s absence from any sign of civilized life. Saturday the 2d we (our company) went out six or seven miles from the Point to guard a bridge on the Cairo and Fulton Railroad. Sunday we came back to the Point, and found the [...]
Bird’s Point, October 27, 1861. I haven’t written for a full week because I really had nothing to write and in fact I have not now. Although soldiering is a hugely lazy life, yet these short days we seem to have but little spare time. We are up nearly an hour before sun up, have [...]
Bird’s Point, October 18, 1861 We yesterday drew our overcoats, and splendid ones they are. The cloth is light blue and they reach nearly to our feet. They have capes on them that come over a fellow’s head nicely nights. The weather is about like you have I expect, but I know we will be [...]
Bird’s Point, October 10, 1861. I have just finished a dinner of cider, cake, bread, butter, etc. We have just been paid off and of course have to indulge in a few delicacies for awhile. Last Tuesday we were ordered to strike tents and pack for a march. It wasn’t much of a march though [...]
Bird’s Point, October 2, ’61. Just at noon yesterday orders came to strike tents and in an hour we were under way and have come to a halt in this forsaken hole. It seems that the 8th can’t get out of hearing of the Cairo morning and evening gun anyway. Our major says they are [...]
Norfolk, September 30, 1861. You think I’m doing pretty well in the number of my letters, don’t you? I can afford to for you are the only correspondent I have. You musn’t be surprised if you don’t get letters from me so regularly after this, for if we start back in the country, as I [...]
Norfolk (date torn off.) The colonel talks some to-night about a forward movement, and two regiments have come across the river from the Kentucky side this evening, the Iowa 2d and 7th. The 17th are still opposite us and I have seen none of them yet. Our cavalry scouts are fighting now more or less [...]
Note: This letter—a document written in 1861—includes terms and topics that may be offensive to many today. No attempt will be made to censor or edit 19th-century material to today’s standards. September 17, 1861. Well, I’ve slept half of this day and feel sleepy yet. I had a tough time on picket last night. [...]
Norfolk, September 16, 1861. We are still here at Norfolk and now in camp for we don’t know how long. We got tents the day after the date of my last, and splendid ones they are. They are full 10 feet high and 15 feet across. They each accommodate about 15 men. Since we have [...]
Camp Norfolk, September 12, 1861. Agreeable to our very short notice we packed our knapsacks, put three days rations in our haversacks, were carried across the river to Bird’s Point in two boats (our whole regiment), and just at dark started out through the woods. ‘Twas a confounded, dark, dirty, narrow road, and I was [...]
Cairo, September 9, 1861 The refreshments and dry goods from home arrived Saturday. We were at Paducah then and they were taken care of by two or three of the lame and halt, that were not in traveling order and were left behind. We returned this morning and after acknowledging the excellence, profusion, variety, gorgeousness, [...]