No 18. Home.

Camp near Murfreesboro, Tenn.

June 4^th 1863

 

Dear Friends.

                        As every thing is quiet all around, I thought that I would write you a few lines. Speaking about its being quiet, it is only for a short time & prehaps before this reaches you we may be many miles from here.

 

Last night the whole army or our corps was tumbled out in a hurry. all I could learn was this. well I will have to go back to the first of the month when whe had another "Grand Review" of which I will speak again. well that day it was reported that our scouts came in & said that there / was no enemy in our front. well that made the boys expect that we would move, for if the rebels had left we would know that they went down towards Vicksburg to reinforce Johnson, & we would have to follow them, but yesterday a far different report came in & which proves to be true & that was that Bragg was massing his forces between Shelbyville & M^cMinnville & was going to try & drive us out of here. well last night just as we got to bed & nicely asleep an ordilery came dashing through the lines & went up to the Cols. tent, stoped a few moments & then went on. soon we heard bugles blowing in camp all around. just at this time the capt. came up to our tent & waiked up the first Seargt. & told him to have the / company fall in as soon as possible with guns & accoutrements, knapsack, haversack & canteen for inspection this was at ½ eleven. after inspection we had to get three days rations in our haversacks and five days in our knapsacks, in all eight days rations. with this we were ordered to hold ourselves ready to march at a moments notice. so we went to work, drew our rations, packed our knapsacks and haversacks, filled our canteens, then stacked our arms & hung our things on the stacks. most of the boys went back & layed down with out anything over them. I have got an extra blanket so I had a good sleep before morning but the "taps" have blown & I will have to stop & finish in the morning. 

 

Friday June 5^th 1863.

            Last night it rained, just about as it usually does down here, "hard & heavy" for a short time. I went with the team after some watter. we have to get all of our watter in barrels. the teams draw it up to camp for us. we have to go about a mile to a large spring. Yesterday afternoon we could hear heavy cannonadeing on the front of the "Right Wing" or 20^th Army Corps. the report is that Bragg is trying to turn our right & get in our rear again. there has been some heavy fighting off towards Franklin which is our extream right commanded by Maj Gen Granger. we have heard no particulars, but we could hear the heavy guns once in a while. I hope if we have got to fight the rebels that they will pitch into us here. I think nothing would suit our officers better any way it would be one of the bloodiest 

 

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battles they ever fought the rebels think that Gen Rosecranz has sent large reinforcements to Gen Grant & that now would be the time for them to try to drive us out of this place, but I think they will find out their sad mistake to late for them to back out, even if they come out of their fortifications down there at Tullahoma & offer us battle. it would be to late for them to retreat.

 

There is a rebel spy going to be hung today at one oclock. the place they are going to hang him is about ½ mile from here or a little ways beyond the other end of the 2^d Brigade as I understand our division will be allowed to go I think I would like to be a witness there. I dont know positively / whether they will allow many around but I shall go and see. I will report to you when I get back but I must stop for dinner.

 

4 oclock P.M.

            I have just got back from the execution. my head aches & my hand trembles. I am all in a tremor for the horrible sight I have just witnessed has almost unstrung my nerves. all I could learn of the crime was this, he with more rebels murdered a union man cutting his tounge out & both of his ears off, cutting him up as bad as they could & then shot him. he said that he was inicent but that he was there & did not take no hand in the affair. he jung 25 minutes & then they cut him down the 37 Indiana & 11 Michigan formed the guard, the 37 Indiana forming a hollow square around the prisoner. he was a citizen of this State a man about 30 years old the daughter of the murdered man was there & offered to place the rope around his neck. I heard that they have caught the ringleader of this band of bushwhackers that this fellow belonged to. they had no sooner cut him down before some one commenced to cut the rope. Officers rode up & cut off peices untill they could not reach it. then couple of boys got on top & cut it all down. I got a small peice which I divided up among the boys. I have one stran left which would make a good curiosity. I think I will send it home. long will I remember the 5^th of June 1863 I should think there were between 8 & ten thousand there. it was in an open field & on a little knowl so good many could see.

 

When I got back to camp I found a letter for me mailed June 1 from Aunt Lydia. I had begun to think that something was the matter either the letters did not come through, or some one was sick so that you did not have time to write to me so you / see that I am not disappointed if I do not get letters from home every other day. It did seem a long time & I am glad to hear that you are all getting better I am glad that you have got the things I have sent home. I dont know of any thing else I want only if you conclude to send me a hat, send a black one instead of a light colored one. I dont know as it makes much differance. I have not been over to the 21 but once since Mr Fuller has got back. I have seen Alfred once or twice he gets along finely. the tea is first rate. I had a chance to try it the same day I got it while I was out on picket. I have made some for our mess twice & they all say it is first rate we have a good time [?] now & there is two wants to know if I could get any more. I told them I did not know. The papers comes along regular so I have pleanty of reading matter, but I must close. write soon if you have time give my love to all at home. Yours as ever

                                               

Frank Phelps

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