Head Quarters 77^th Regt OVI

1^st Brigade, 3^d Div. 16^th Army Corps,

Arkansas Expedition

Clarendon, Ark., Aug 16, 1863.

 

My very dear Wife:

                        I wrote to you last Tuesday from Helena, and at 3½ P.M. of that day we left for this place. Where our final destination is, of course I cannot say. It may be Little Rock, or it may a point 25 miles from here where Price is said to be encamped.

 

            We arrived here at 3½ PM yesterday—just four days marching 55 miles. I walked every step of the way, except perhaps some ten miles on Friday, when I was Division Officer of the Day, and was furnished a horse. I am in excellent health, and stood the march extremely well. Our Regiment all got through, with but few falling back into the ambulances and wagons—fewer than almost any Regiment in the whole Division. My Co. lost two or three out the 2^d day, but they came up at night. The 3^d day they did about the same, but on Friday more fell back, and yesterday at one time we had but eleven men in ranks—Lieut Smithson walked nearly all the way and kept up, though he was sick on Wednesday and is not very well now. West was always up. Capt. Sisson fell back towards the last. He has resigned since he got here—and it is believed his resignation will be accepted. Capt. Lutgen rode in an ambulance one day and Lieuts. Richner and M^cIntyre rode most of the way. Scott fell back and got in a wagon Friday. M^cNaughton march all the way, but had very sore feet. Capt. Robinson do. My feet did not get sore. / Lieut. Pugh was "sun-struck" on Friday, and was brought through in an ambulance. I got a little tired each day, but bathed myself well, and felt fresh next morning. On Friday I rode about forty miles, back and forth along the train of over two hundred wagons, and the column of a dozen Regiments of Infantry and several Batteries of Artillery. That made me somewhat sore, but I feel all right now. I was much fatigued before I got the pickets posted.

 

            Col. Rice, (acting Major General) commanding the Division got in here on Friday, and as I was the Division Officer of the Day, it gave me much extra business to attend to. I had to see that there was no plundering citizens, no destruction of property, and no straggling by the men. Besides I had to see that the trains kept closed up so the rebels could not capture a section of the expedition. They kept firing on us occasionally, but there was "nobody hurt". We captured the notorious rebel leader of a band of Cavalry which does some mischief occasionally near Helena—Capt. Wetherby—and one of his Lieutenants. On the other hand, the rebels captured two privates of our expedition. I did not hear what Regiments they were from. They were "straggling" when caught.

 

            Col. De Hass wrote me from St. Louis on the 3^d. He says Gov. Boreman has promised him a Colonelcy of a West Va. Regt. and that he partly promised a field office to me & to Capt. M^cNaughton and Robinson. I think I will get promotion here. The Col. and Major are both very friendly. When Col. Mason was detailed for Division Officer of the Day, (which is usually filled by Field Officers, he selected me to go in his place—a compliment somewhat significant, considering the importance of the position. The Division Commander, both the Brigade Commanders and all the Field Officers of other Regiments as well as our own seemed well pleased with the way I managed affairs. 

 

            Dearest, I am waiting so impatiently for a letter from you. I have not seen a line from you since I left Alton—though I doubt not there are several letters on the way. They will all be welcome when they come. I think if you daily and dream of you nightly. Write me lots of such letters as you always have done, darling, and I will be so happy when I get them. I would like very much to be in reach of that nice lot of new underclothes you intend to have made about now.

 

            If any man enjoys domestic happiness, I am sure I do, and you know, love, that nothing but duty keeps me away from my sweet wife and children. If I followed the secret longings of my heart, I would resign and come to you at the earliest day possible. But while I can hear the sound of the enemy's guns and the country needs defenders, it will of course take strong reasons to induce such a step. I know you too well, love, to believe you would desire me to do so. There will a time come soon, I hope, when I can with propriety resign. Until then, I will do my duty, and trust to Providence.

 

            We are encamped in a nice shady place in the woods, a short distance from the riverbank. If there is any spot in this hot climate where a man can "keep cool" in August, this is the place.

 

            Capt. Sisson says there is no house vacant in Marietta except the brick we occupied. He says Mr. Skinner asks $75 dollars per year for it, and that he will make the repairs we thought necessary. I hope you will take it. I want to find you just where I left you last November, when I got home. If you are not ready to go when you get this, write to him that you will take it, and for him to make repairs desired.

 

Give my kind regards to all friends. As ever dearest, yours

A.W. M^cCormick /

 

Clarend0n, Ark., Aug 17, 1863—5 PM

My Dear Daughter

                        I wrote this letter to ma yesterday, but kept it open till to-day to write you, as no mail was going yet. The 2^d Division arrived here from Helena, and up to this hour no mail has come to the 77^th. I do not entirely give it up yet. There may be a letter from my loved ones at home yet.

 

            I want you and Frank to me all the little items of news that ma will possibly leave out, such as how Lynn is getting along talking, what he says about pa, &c.

 

            I think it probable we will stay here a week, but we may leave to-morrow. Several of our gunboats are here. The captured some steamboats from the rebels on Saturday. Last night they kept up a great noise shelling the woods on the opposite side of the river from here. I can go to sleep to such music very well. Several buildings were burned in town last night. It is thought they were fired by rebels, to burn our subsistence stores. But they did not succeed.

 

            You can tell their friends in Marietta that Col. Mason, Lieuts West, Jones, & Scott, Jesse Sinclair, Billy Ohle, Fred Booth, Johnny Stanhope, Eugene Lammott, Dr. Cook and all the Marietta members of our Regt. are well.

 

            George Baldwin, son of A.L. Baldwin, of Marietta, recently joined the 77^th as fifer. When we got to Helena where the 22^d Ohio was, we found he belonged to it. So he had to go there. Thos. J. "M^cClellan" who you will remember came up to our house so often for passes, is recognized by a Missouri Cavalry Regiment as a deserter from its ranks. His old Captain told Lieut. Scott he would call on me for him. He can get him "whenever he wants him".

 

            Frank, you must not neglect to write to me. Try hard to write well, but write to me anyhow. I want to hear from all my good boys, as well as from my pet daughter. I love you all ever so much.

                                               

Your                                                   

Pa.

SOURCES