Head Quarters 54 ovi

                                                                                    On Board Suny South

                                                Yazo River                  Friday Morning   Jany 2^nd 1863

 

Dear Wife

            I improve the first oppertunity to inform you that after One weeks hard fighting I am Still alive While many have gone to their Long homes.

 

I hope you injoyed a hapy newyears But I cannot Say that I did—you will not be Surprised that I am very much fateigued Sleepy and worn out when I tell you that we have ben in the Batle field for 6 days fighting days and working nights in A Swamp in the Rain without Blankets But with all I am thankful that my life is spared and my health is as good as it is                  To describe to you what we have undergone in the Past week would Be more than my Feeble Pen can do Justice to We left the Boat one week ago to night on that night I left A leter for you and several others which I hope you have Recd you perhaps have heard of the Batle and are anxious about me and I have Ben A Litle anxious about myself—Saturday we moved to the enemies Lines Drove in their Pickets Commenced the fight—That night we Laid on our arms and at 4 oclock we opened a heavy fire on them with Some 30 or 40 Pieces of artillery Suported By our Brigade We Pouring in Musketry By the holesale and they Replied fairly/at the same time heavy fighting was going on on our Left with Morgans Division who suffered terribley. the Roar of the Cannon Could be heard in all direction about 4 oclock They attempted to cross our Regt across the Levy But the Balls & Shells came so thick we wer ordered to Lay down and there we lay till dark while our Cannon wer fireing Shell over our heads & 2 Shells explodid and killed 3 men clost to where I Lay I thought it Bad anough to Lay exposed to the enemies fire Let alone being killed By our own men The next day was the hardest fight we had we wer ordered in line about noon they had tried to cross the 6^th Missourie Regiment and they Crossed the Levy under A terrible fire Losing some 70 men they got on the Bank of the Levy the enemy on the other Side not 10 feet off and we fought them to keep them from killing evry man that was a trying Scene The enemy behind the Levy we in the timber So clost we could hear them talk the 6 Misourie in our Brigade Laying on our side Crying to us to Shute high to not kill them and the Rebils telling us to Shute Low—They Poured terrible volles at us and we Returned the same the 13 regulars wer with us and we fought till after dark and the 6^th Came Back and the fireing ceased

 

            The next day we went in with a flag of truce for our dead and for 24 hours Hostilities ceased we wer on Picket and Several of our Men/met theirs half way drank whiskey togather exchanged Papers—Buton &c and talked of the fight Shook hands and partid soon to Be in Deadly combat again the news went Like wildfire and Became so general that A Rebil Colonel Steped on the Bank and gave them five minutes to Leave or he would fire into them & they Skidadled I was on Picket in the after noon but Saw them and they me But without harm till about Sunset when the time of Armistice was up and I saw A flag Wave on the hill I smelt A Mice and kept under Cover till after dark for whang whang all the time       The Ballance of the time there has ben Skirmishing going on all the time Yesterday afternoon we wer again on Picket all day and night They had got their Bateries all Ready and so had we and had orders not to fire with our artillery untill we heard heavy fireing on the Left in the afternoon they commenced throwing Shell among us ocasionally and I had got So nervous & tiard that it Purplexed me worse than the wors fight I was ever in—I was Satisfied when I first saw the Place that we could never do any thing from hear and my Ideas have proved true we had made Corderoy Bridges for some 5 miles Got out our 30 Pound Siege guns But Last night we got them Back a good deal quicker Last night and yesterday we got evry thing to the Boat and about 3 this morning we Started with Part of the 57 Ohio and/covered the Retreat and are now aboard of the Boat and Vixburgh is no nearer taken as I can see than when we commenced we have had a good deal of hard fighting our division Lost over seventeen hundred men our regiment Lost 19 killed & woundid that is a good many out of a hundred and fifty Our Gunboats have ben up the Yazo River 5 miles above hear took a 6 gun Batery and they came near Sinking one of them they took up several Torpedoes and have had A Big time generally But to tell you the truth I think the taking of Vixburgh is a Biger Bargin than was contracted for and those who lives to see it taken will Be fortunate for it is a chain of hills a natural fortification and they seem determined to hold it But I am so sleepy & tiard I do not know what I write and must close for the Present and Lay down to dream of you and Pet They are Still fighting up the River But the Roar of cannon does not disturb me to day. I am to much worn out

 

Evening

It is Raining hard and we are in the missippi Running Some where and I know not where and I do not care much I have ben A Sleep and feel A litle Beter Our Regiment Lost 19 killed and woundid and in our division we lost over 17 hundred the 16^th Ohio Lost about the same as we did at Shiloh when I see how things are going I wish I was at home I hate to make my Life A Sacrifice to A Shampaign Party or to such generals as we have I have no faith in them I will Bid you good night

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