Camp of 36^th Mass Vols

Knoxville Ten Oct 17/63

 

Dear Brother Samuel

I suppose that you will all be anxious to hear from me and especially so when you hear that the 36^th have again been in battle. The battle of Blue Springs was fought last Saturday the 10^th Inst. near Greeneville. The enemy occupied a gap in the hills through which the road passed. in the morning a part of 23d Corps engaged them about one mile from the gap in the woods and fought them until 3 P.M. without success when they were relieved by a portion of the 9^th Corps. we immediately deployed one Regt as skirmishers (the 45^th P.V.) & discovering their position immediately charged upon them. we charged about a mile at the double quick step throug woods / and brush, over hills & through vallies over fences & fallen trees the enemy retreating as fast as we advanced. The Gen told our brigade that we had done in 20 minutes what 5000 men had been trying to do all day. our brigade numbered about 800 men at length about dark we encountered the enemy's batteries and which a raking fire over the hill that we had gained from masked batteries from three directions, however we held our ground and after night fall we errected batteries but in the morning the Rebels had gone. we followed them 23 miles our advance overtaking their rear & skirmishing with them for several miles. Their artillery fire was most severe on us, there was not a position at Fredericksburg in which we were more exposed to artillery than at Blue Spring. It was immediately perceived that it / would be impossible for us to take their position by charge without terrible loss of life for we would have had to charge nearly three fourths of mile exposed every step to the enfilading fire of three batteries so we were commanded to lie flat on the ground and I guess that we hugged the ground as closely as we ever did. the shot and shell would pass just over our heads. our losses were light only 6 men in the 36^th. one Lt was wounded by a piece of shell in the back of his head while his face was on the ground another was shot in the ancle. one man was shot through the neck while he was lying on the ground so you see that the balls came prety low Our Col. was wounded in the leg severely, but it is hoped he will not lose it. he was but a few steps from me at the time, and as I turned towards / him to go to his assistance, a fragment of a shell struck my sword which was in my hand & broke it into three pieces, but a kind Providence kept it from me. One mans haversack was hit and torn to pieces. it was hot work lying there with the shells scraching & whistleing only a foot or two above our heads, bursting just before us & just behind us. Yet there was not a man who skulked. The 79^th N.Y. (Highland Regt) went in with eighty men & lost eleven almost 1 in 7 this was the greatest proportion of any regt. We got great creadit for the manner of in which we behaved in the engagement & the enemy knew that they could not hold their position in the morning. we should have liked to have had them remain, but they remembered there—"Discretion is the better part of vallor" also the other adage "He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day" Now there is no Rebel force in north east Tenn this side of Zollicoffer near the Virginia line. We came back last Tuesday. A large cavalry force was sent in pursuit of the Rebs & one to get into their rear but the country is such that it is hard to hold it by a small force. I mean to prevent the enemy from cutting through the whole width of the valley giving them the chance to escape when once /

 

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driven out they can be easily kept out. Parson Brownlow returned to his home last eve. I have seen the building in which Simon Dean used to teach. I shall write again soon. I reced a letter yesterday which was a month on the way. I shall write again soon. Write to me on receipt of this giving me all news &c how you are getting along. Do you like farming. Should you not like to go away to school this winter then into some kind of business? How do those young horses turn out? are they going to make out any thing smart? How did the hay crop come in last summer & have you enough for your stock? If I ever go to farming again I shall get a pair of mules. Do you go to see any of the girls? or I should have said young ladies with any serious intentions.

 

Write soon

                       

Your affect

Brother            John

 

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P.S. Do you realize that you are almost 21 years old almost a man a citizen. you must begin to put off boyish things & begin to act & feel like a man. When I see you again I expect to see you with a beard I do not want to see a boy with whiskers above all things else remember that you are forming habits & character that will last through & beyond this life.      Give my love to all

 

The Rebels have a holy horror of fighting the "Old ninth" corps & the 23^d Corps who saw us fight at Blue Spring said "How like /

 

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Devils those ninth corps men fight" Some Regts with only 100 or 200 men are worth as much as some new regts with 1000. they know how to go into fight & make every shot count, and how to take advantage of circumstances. I believe the 45 Pa. would fight a splendid battle without a single officer. That regt is the best regt that I ever saw. they are always sent in as skirmishers & they say that they want no better support than the 6^th Mass I enclose an order from Col Morrison commanding the 1^st Brigade & one from Gen Ferrero commanding the Division

SOURCES