Camp John. A. Logan

Camp at Lagrange Tenn

Friday Nov 14^th 1862

 

My dear Wife

I will send you a few lines by mail you will see by the heading that we are in Lagrange Tenn I wrote you the evening before we left Humboldt that I expected we would go to Lagrange Miss, but they say this is Tenn now The boundary lines have been changed is the cause We are in good health We started here early in the morning of the 12^th and arrived here yesterday morning at about 3½ We have come as far as we can go by rail-way We are in about three miles of the Miss line We are in encamped now in a very pleasant place between the 31^st & 63^rd Ill regt^s We passed the 18^th at Jackson about 60 miles from here 

 

They tell me that there are about 90,000 troops at this place We had a very unpleasant ride down here The most of our Co had to ride on a flat car and we were badly crowded and the car was very muddy at night we all piled down on top of each other & the mud which was very uncomfortable Sometimes the engine would stall & it would be a long time before it could start again A good deal of the time it didnt go faster than a man could walk During the night Marion's gun dropped off the car & he had to jump off & look for it He found it & caught up again and we pulled him up again You know we must have been going very slow Our troops here had an engagement with the enemy 3 or 4 days ago & completely routed them killing several & took over 200 prisoners It is reported that / Price has evacuated Holly Springs & is retreating southward It is doubted by some but I rather think it is true Some say we are within 6 & some 12 miles of Holly Springs I expect we will leave here in a few days if we do I think we'll be compelled to lighten the burden of our knapsacks I'll either throw my (one of my blankets) blanket or my vest away Marion got a letter from Leah yesterday How I longed to get one from my dearest one to hear from her & my darling babe but did not I hope to hear before we leave here Gen Logan is here but we have to regret the absence of our noble Colonel Dollins He was thrown from his horse the day before we left Humboldt which injured his knee-cap so that he wont be able to take command soon We fear to go in battle under the Lt Col but if he leads us / You may listen to hear of the "Egyptian Tigers" sustaining the honor of Illinois troops I have seen a good many of the boys I knew in the 31^st & 63^rd but I have'nt seen John Gunn yet I saw Williamson Davis yesterday He is getting well & hearty again I expect we will advance on Price in a few days & if he has evacuated Holly Springs I expect or I think we ought to follow him up so we may have to travel afoot to Jackson Miss as that is the place a great many think he will fall back upon So you see he has not fulfilled his promise he made to his troops a few days ago in which he declared that he would eat his dinner in Bolivar which is a few miles above here on a certain day which would have been one day last week But he concluded I suppose / That the climate is rather cold up that way & that to preserve the health of himself & his troops he would better seek a warmer instead of a colder climate We are as far south as any federal troops in the western army I saw a rebel account in a paper this morning stating that the enemy had advanced as far as Lagrange & was expected to move on them which was near Holly Springs A battle seems inevitable 

 

Now Velery I want you to write just as soon as you get this for I am so anxious to hear from you & it is the only way we now have of communicating our thoughts to each other I have but one more stamp & dont know whether I can get any here or not I would be glad if you would send me two or three John Gunn has just come to our tent he is fat & hearty I have not much more space When this you see Remember me Though far away I be

 

Give my best respects to all the connection

 

Carroll Harriss           

To Velery Harriss

his dear wife /

 

Direct to

Carroll Harriss

Lagrange Tenn

Co. A. 81^st Reg^t Ill Vol

Care of Capt Cowens

 

Excuse bad writing I write on my knee & sit on my knapsack

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