[parenthetical note in another hand]

 

Capt. G. F. Glossbrenner

Co "I" 63 Ill Vols

 

In camp [faded] of Chattanooga Tenn

Nov 29^th 1863            

                       

Dear Brother & Sister

                    [faded] anxious about my welfare about this time as I suppose you have heard that we were about to engage the enemy Well the trying time & day of conflict is over especialy in this part of the country I will commence and give you the items of our expidition as I have them in my diary Well we were ordered on the morning of the 23^rd to be ready to march at 12 oclock at night without knapsacks & with 2 spades to each company & 100 rounds of ammunition to each man I was ordered to take my company with two others of different Regts and act as skirmishers on the left of the line of battle so we went to bed to take perhaps our last sleep. We were up and ready to march by midnight everything in order, but we did not leave camp until about one oclock we then marched about half way between camp and the Tenn River where we halted for about 2 hours. we then marched to the bank of the river where we lay about one hour and then crossed the Tenn River a few hundred yards below the Chickamauga. We crossed in pontoon boats with muffled oars The first troops that crossed slipped around and took in the Rebbel pickets after most all of the Infantry crossed on the boats we advanced up a hill (at the foot of which we landed) and threw up breast works to protect us from the enemy providing they attacked us and also to protect our men while they built a pontoon bridge for our artillery & wagons to cross By the time all of our Infty crossed it was broad day light / yet no enemy seemed to be aware of our movement after all or most of our Infantry crossed we advanced about 500 yards then halted and threw up another line of works here we lay until about one oclock P.M. and the pontoon was finished and our artillery was across. we were then called in line and the order given to throw each Division in Divisions each Regt was throwen in Divisions right in frunt. A & B formed one Division C & "D" one division &c I had comd of the 5 division of our Regt companies "I" & "K" Genl Ewings Division was on our right & Genl Osterhauses Division on our left We marched by divisions with each two Regt formed in divisions up to the foot of look out mo Missionary Ridge the comd was then given (by the right flank file left) this throwed each Regt in a line of four ranks and the whole Division 5 Regts (3 Brigades) marched up the hill in one line of four ranks There was no opposition met with in gaining the first hill only that the Rebs threw shell at us when we exposed ourselves on top of the hill and in range with batteries from what is called Tunnel hill on this first hill we lay until dark and then went to work throwing up breast works we had but few tools to work with and the hill was full of small stone so that we had to work most all night to get our works finished Our skirmishers kept firing long after dark but at last all was quiet our company did not go out as skirmishers The 4 Minnesota Regt done the skirmishing we lay behind the breast works until about 11 oclock next day There was verry heavy firing in the vacinity of Lookout Mountain to day and also yesturday & tonight. The fight commenced by our troops advancing from Chattanooga and takeing possession of a few high pieces of ground in frunt / of the town this was on Monday the 23^rd I think Gen Hooker done most of the fighting on the 24^th We may say what we please about the Eastern troops but they have done the hardest fighting and I believe they are as good fighters as can be found in the Union Armies. I will now try to tell you of a few things which happened on the 25^th that is what I seen on the 25^th It rained and misted most all day on the 24^th a verry good day for making our secret move and crossing the river Today the 25^th the weather was clear & cool it froze pretty hard last night We lay behind breast works all fore noon until about 11 oclock it was about this hour that the charge took place on Tunnel hill we could see it most all from our breast works our skirmishers commenced firing early this morning and the firing kept getting faster & faster until our skirmishers made a charge on the Rebs skirmishers and took a log F^t which they were laying behind this was about half way up the hill which the Rebs ocupied and happened about 9 oclock when about eleven our men made the charge on the Rebs works but were repulsed I believe 3 of our men got in the F^t two got out again and the third was either killed or wounded taken prisioner when our men fell back the Rebs charged out after them but they were put back in a hurry Our men then made another charge but were repulsed again with a pretty heavy loss. the Rebs fired grape & canister & completely mowed the woods in which our men were in Many a brave & noble man fell to rise no more on this eventful day it was during this second charge that our Regt was ordered out of the breast works we crossed to another hill closter to the enemys works here we lay until about sundown and during our stay on this hill I heard that the 11^th Army Corps were lying on the far end of the hill I heard that the 82^nd Ohio Regt was in this 11 Corps and that Samuel Armstrong All Pittenger Joe Thomas & Edwin Payne were in / it so I went down to hunt them up and I was [paper hole] in finding them They were all in good health and looked well All Pittenger is turning grey as also is Joe Thomas I did not have long to talk to them I was afraid the Regt would move I have not got to see them since I guess they are after Braggs Well about or near sundown we were ordered over on the hill on which the Rebs ocupied. We were marched up to the log breast works which the rebs had built & our men had taken from them But while marching down the hill on which we lay the Rebs fired two shells at us one bursted about 10 ft above and beyond us the next one went over the heads of Co "D" and bursted on the ground within about 3 or 4 feet of some of them one small piece of the shell struck the first Lieut of Co "D" on the side of his head clost the ear it knocked him in the ranks and would of knocked him down had he not ben caught by some of the men but strange as it is the shell merly broke the skin and merly slightly wounded him he said that the concussion of the shell so close his head hurt him worse than the piece of shell striking him. But I tell you they got down the hill in short meter after we got up behind the logs there was a few bullets came whizzing over our heads but it soon got to dark for them to see to shoot so the firing ceased The Colo was then ordered to send one company out in frunt for picket guard & skirmishers the colo then ordered me out with the Co as we are the only company that understand the skirmish drill I as soon as it got dark enough deployed the company and marched forward about 100 yards from the Regt towards the enemy this is where I was ordered to stay until further orders or until daylight. here we had to lay all night without a spark of fire & it froze verry hard all night We expected to commence the fight in the morning at the first peep of day We lay behind stumps logs & trees until about 2 oclock in the morning I was then ordered to take the company and advance up to the Rebs works or until we were fired on by the enemy there was a company on my right & one on my left so up we went verry slow and cautiously until we reached the Rebs works a part of the company was the first to enter their works & what do you think we found [paper hole] did not find a living Rebbel but we found dead ones they left in such a hurry that they did not take time to bury their dead But they took time to strip the clothes off of our dead & a few of our wounded iff they found a man who had a good coat shoes hat pants they were shure to take them off We did not have time to see much in the F^t we were ordered back in the morning after daylight I started up again to see more of the battle ground but I did not go clear up to the Fort for I seen enough to satisfy me on the ground our men charged over I almost sickened at the sight during the day and excitement It did make me feel bad to see the dead & wounded I did not get excited during the fight as I expected I would I felt as calm and cool as iff I seen nothing but a couple of dogs or cats a fighting When we were ordered to advance on the fort at night I expected we would nearly all be killed although I had an idea the Rebs had gone I picked up a Rebbel canteen and cartridge box in the fort the canteen is made of cedar wood I gave the cartridge box to one of the men who had none of his own thought of cutting a few buttons off of the clothes of some of the dead Rebs but I could not bear the idea besides I am no great hand to pick up such little things I am verry thankful that we did not get in the fight for I know I should of lost some of my company iff not myself and all of my men seems as near as iff they were brothers I had a kind of a notion when we started for the fight that I would be killed But I would of liked to been in a fight and had the pleasure of turning up at least one Reb when we advanced on the Fort I took a gun thinking likley I would get a shot . On the morning of the 26^th we started in pursuit of the retreating foe We followed them about 14 miles and were then ordered back to camp I hated this verry much I felt like following them to the jumping off place and give them goody from the jump but I guess they are being payed for being darned traitors for while we were after them we met several squads of prisioners comeing back to the rear The day that we came back it rained most all fore noon we had a /

 

[overwritten upside down]

 

march of it and were short of rations. we only had quarter rations and are now living on half rations We started back to camp on the morning of the 28^th and reached camp a little after dark the roads were verry muddy and laborious marching On the evening of the 27^th one of my men took a chill. we left him on the road or at a house on the road and when we came back he was too sick to come with us the next day I sent a man back to bring him to camp in a wagon or by any conveyance he could get as there were teems comeing back all the time when he got to the house where the man lived was he found him dead & buried he had been at home for a couple of months on a sick furlough and had just got back the day before we went to the fight he looked well and appeared quite lively but being used to a good bed in a warm house and then comeing out here and sleeping out in the night air without tents and on the cold ground was too much for him and he took a chill and I think it runn in a congestive chill his name was Robert Bollinger he was a good honest quiet nice young man & a good soldier We are to have inspection tomorrow after noon at 8 oclock Gen Grant is to be our Inspecting Officer I suppose he will inspect our whole Army Corps I do not know how long we will stay here we sent to Bridgeport to day for our tents so I think we will be apt to stay a week or two at least I was in hopes that we would be sent back to Memphis or up to Nashville I would like to spend a few months in Kentuckey and travail around a while over the country Well I believe I have told you all I can think of at present at least I have written enough to to try your patience in trying to read what I have written I received a letter from Charlotte yesturday they have at last got in their new house strange as it may seem We are to be paid off in a day or two for the months of September & October. You will get the news of the battle before you get this letter It was a great victory But where we fought we lost at least two men to where the Rebs lost one. the 5^th Iowa 30^th Ohio 26^th Illinois lost heavy in [paper hole] also 26^th Mosourie and others that I cannot mention. I am anxious to see an acount of it in the papers I received your letter the other and was glad to hear that you were all in good health I have not time to look over it & see iff you have asked me any questions Give my love to all of my friends & believe me as ever your Brother George

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