#6*

Near Jacinto, Miss.

 

Dear Brother:

                        I received your last letter about one week ago, and take this the first opportunity of answering it.

 

            Event has so followed upon event during the past week that I scarcely know where to to begin. We left Corinth one week ago last Sabbath evening, equipped in fighting trim, carrying nothing but our guns and haversacks containing rations. We marched that night about eight miles towards Iuka, when we were posted at the crossing of two roads behind a fence in line of battle. The next day we lay in the woods all day, and at night we made another march of about eight miles in the direction of Jacinto. Then stacking our guns beside the road we lay down for the night. We remained here two days. While here we had a hard rain storm. At the time it commenced I was out with a foraging party and got completely drenched. We fixed up shanties as well as we could / from boards that we stripped from houses, and they served our purpose tolerably well. As it stopped raining before night I managed to dry myself tolerably well by the aid of a rousing fire. It rained again during the night but I kept pretty dry in my cubby house. After remaining in our position a day or two the rest of the Division came up and moving on a couple of miles we encamped for the night. The next morning early we started on the march there being about 10,000 troops I should judge. About 11 o'clock Gen Rosecrans rode by and as he went told us that if Price did not get away before 1 o'clock of that day we had him, as the our troops were moving up on other roads to surround him. We marched moderately, making about 16 or 17 miles during the day. About 4 o'clock we came in sight of a fine house, together with numerous outbuildings, all of which were wrapped in flames. Our men had been fired upon from it, and one wounded, and this was the punishment. We were now about five miles from Iuka. We had moved forward but a short distance when we heard the cannon booming about 3 miles in front of us. After moving forward a short distance farther we stopped and loaded our guns and our Colonel gave us words of caution in regard to firing low. The firing became more and more distinct, until finally there was but one continual roar of musketry. We had now moved up at no great distance from the firing, when we were shoved forward at the double quick. We were halted in the road at a distance of not more than 400 or 500 yards from the firing. Soon / the balls began to whistle over our heads and fall in front and rear of us in a manner that was anything but comfortable. Two or three balls rushed past quite near me. It was a trying position. Without any chance to return fire we were compelled to stand thus in presence of danger. The firing was going on in a strip of woods across an open field on the right of us. We tore down a fence in front of us in order that we might have a fair swing should the rebels drive back our men into the open field. It was now nearly dark, and about time for the battle to cease for the night. We were moved forward about a quarter of a mile and ordered to form in the woods in line of battle. There I first began to see the wounded, some coming back themselves, some being brought back on stretchers. It was now dark and most of the firing had ceased. We were being marched in four ranks to a position where we could begin the fight next morning, when suddenly on our left at a distance of not more than 10 paces a deadly volley of musketry was poured in to us. We immediately fell to the ground, most of the boys firing as they did so. Rattle-whiz went the balls over our backs and around our heads It was the 17^th Iowa Reg't who had fired into us by mistake. The mistake was fin discovered before a second volley was fired, but as it was some were wounded. Now ensued a pretty scene of confusion. Two other Regiments were just beside us and they became completely mixed with our own. / Regiments and companies were completely mixed, in intolerable confusion. In a few moments however the Regiment was again formed, and we lay beside our arms all night. Had we been in other circumstances the coolness of the night would have prevented much sound sleep, but when I tell you that I confidently expected the next morning to go into the presence of danger and death and that at a distance of about half a mile from us a poor wounded fellow lay all night groaning and hollering terribly, you may judge that not much sleep visited my eyelids. About 3½ o'clock we were aroused and got in readiness for action. We anxiously awaited the approach of the rebels until some time after daylight, when we were informed that during the night Price had retreated. I have no hesitation in saying that I felt exceedingly relieved. We were now marched over part of the battle field towards Iuka. The dead lay strewed on every hand. Some of them were horribly mangled; one having part of his head shot away; one being shot in the side and weltering in gore. The secesh were without uniforms and their dead presented a peculiarly ghastly appearance; said to be the effects of whiskey and gunpowder which they mixed as a stimulating drink. The fight was obstinately contested on both / sides, one Regiment of our men fighting no less than five rebel regiments in succession. We moved cautiously toward Price's forces were estimated at from ten to twenty thousand men. The reason of his evacuation was that Gen. Grant was approaching on another road, and he was afraid of being surrounded, which he undoubtedly would have been had not Grant's army been delayed by trees felled in the road for a distance of about 5 miles.

 

            We moved forward cautiously toward Iuka in the morning, when we discovered a Regiment of infantry and a lot of cavalry which Price had left as a rear guard. Two or three shells sent them skedaddling, when we moved into the town. We found that they had left in such a hurry that everything was left behind, and the boys were soon engaged in rifling their knapsacks. In many cases carpets were used for blankets, and sometimes quite valuable ones too. I opened but one knapsack, and took out an unused blank book, some buttons, and some secesh envelopes made of common white paper. The last letter that I sent you was enclosed in one.

 

            We moved forward about 6 miles in pursuit of Price when we gave up the chase and the next day returned to our present encampment /

 

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The only loss I met with in the fight was that of my hat during the melee when we were fired upon by mistake. I secured another next morning.

           

Write soon and still direct to Corinth.

                                                                                                           

Your brother

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