Edgfield Tennessee Sep^t 6^th 1862

           

Dear Brother

It is this late in the season & I have recieved no news from you yiet what can I or may I think of this delay I hope it is not your fault it may be a delay on the account of the railroad bridges being torn down Since I last wrote you I have traveled a great manny miles we left Murfreesboro on the 10^th for Nashville arived there on the morning of the 17^th Went into camp with the expectation of staying there some time as our Colon^l had orders to take command of that post but through an intrigue of our Lieu^t Colon^l he was discharged & had to return to his Company in the Regular service we had orders on the 20^th to escort Genr^l Nelson to Bolinggreen so so on the morning of the 21^st at half past 9 we to up our line of march the weather was extremely warm & verry dry dust verry deep nearly or full an inch it would raise in such a cloud that was hard to breath our nose would fill with mud / in a few minutes so that a person could not breath unless he dug would dig it out in this way we toiled on until 9 Oclock at night when we lay ourselves down to rest upon the cold ground with nothing but our oil blankets to cover us & our cartridge boxes for a pillow after eating a supper of salt junk & hard crackers Our knees swolen & mossles exausted from heat & fatiegue a distance of 23 ms layes between us & camp Bolinggreen is 72 ms from Nashville can we ever reach that place it seems that we never could march another step we think of some friends & neighbors that are comfortably qtred in soft warm beds with a pleanty that is good to eat the bugle blows at half past three two we partake of the same food & are soon in line On on we go stiff & sore caused by heat & hard labor & laying upon the cold ground we stop at noon for a short rest at about three in the afternoon the boys begin to fall out of ranks the waggons that haul our provision are soon filled & manny are left forced along by the rear guard hardly able to walk but they have to go on as there are Rebbels near by can I stand the march it seems so as I still keep in ranks we go into camp at half past 8 just able to move & hardly at that We have made a march of 28 ms work & worse on the 24 at 1pm we leave Boling green / for the big springs on the train whilst on our way the train overtook a Sq^d of men they from the train it created suspition so the boys fixed on on them from the tops of the cars you should have seen the Cittizans that were with us they made me think of some womman that I have seen when scared they were all bound to be at the bottom some tried to crawl through knot holes & various other little creveses but the worse part I will not omit we stopped at dusk near the tunnel where the trane of cars ware burned to distroy it this plase is six miles from Galatin Tennessee on the morning of the 25^th we entered Galatin drove in 15 of Morgans pickets wounding three & killing one this plase was completely deserted by the whole population leaving nothing but the womman to guard the town there is two bridges burned between here & that place on the 26^th we left for this place a march of 15 ms on the 29^th I was called upon to go & learn what I could concerning Morgan & his force I went within two ms of Galatin I learned that Morgan was there & that that he had tore up the telegraph Office tore down the wire burned a Union mans house & tried to catch him they nearly ruined his family also raised the sesesh flag & committed / various other depredations to numerous to mention I was surrounded by three as I retreated but I made my escape came out safe crossing the trail of four sesesh scouts about fifteen minutes after they passed so I learned by the railroad hands I was out fif two days makeing a march of 24 ms my information proved to to be of a concidderable benefit to the Colon^l this happened in the month of Augs^t

 

On the night of Sep^t 5^th I was on guard about 9 our pickets were alarmed by a Co of cavelry that did not stop at the challenge our pickets fired killed one horse & shot the Cap^t ear off I go in swimming in the Columbia River nearly every other day

 

            I hope you wil keep my letters safe all that I have written & all that I shal write as I intend to have a book written & shal depend upon these letters for dates if you have not kept my letters please inform me of it write soon

           

My love to all & yourself

                       

From Your Brother

Wm H Peck

 

Direct to Nashville &c.

SOURCES