Amos F. Garrison II to Harriet F. Kirby, 7 April 1862
Fort Union N.M.
April 7th, 1862
Dear Sister
Your letter of the 6th ultims
was received with the greatest pleasure.
you will perhaps every week see some
thing about the war in New Mexico
although a great deal of it is not true
but perhaps as true as most newspaper
reports. last week our force left here
about 1300 strong and had two very
desparate fights. in the first one the
forces were about equal. in the last their
forces numbered over two hundred more
than ours. in the two engagements our
loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners
were less than one hundred. their loss
was four hundred, among which were
one hundred taken prisoner, eleven
officers, among their killed was one
Colonel, two Majors, one Captain and
one Lieutenant. we just hors-de-combat
two of their cannon, captured and burnt
50 wagons loaded with ammunition and
provisions, but they having reinforcements
close at hand, it was thought prudent
to fall back to this place where all the
provisions and military stores of the
Territory are. (these fights took place on the
26” and 28” of last month.)
We received dispatches from
Col Canby who we have been cut off
from for some time, that he was advance-
ing toward this place, and our forces left
yesterday to meet him. this will make
the two forces in the Territory about equal
so there will be some very desparate fight-
ing, as the C.S. Army is made up of the
frontier men and desperadoes of the South
west who are armed by choice with rifle
musket, double barrelled shot gun, from
one to three six shooters, navy size, and a
large bowie knife, commomly called seven
pound bowie.
they also have the advantage in number
of cannon. but our forces are men that
know that they have got to fight desperately
and they go at it with a good heart, and
with a will and determination to conquer
everything before them, and they will do it.
You mention in your letter in
regard to my coming home, I did not expect
to come (without we were driven out of the
Territory which we at times looked very
likely to be the case) for some time as I
can save more here in one year than I could
in my old situation in a life time, and if
I conclude to stay here, which is very likely
to be the case, for several years I shall go in
to some other business where I shall be inter-
ested, and where I can make much more.
Be easy with regard to us, as we will
be all right. Give my love to all the folks
kiss Nell & Kate for me. Tell Dr. I wish he would
please send me by first opportunity a full statement
of my affairs at home as I wrote to him
about last mail. Your Brother
Amos F. Garrison, Jr
Mrs. H.F.Kirby, Salem N.J.
DATABASE CONTENT
| (567) | DL0068.012 | 14 | Letters | 1862-04-07 |
Letter from Captain Amos F. Garrison, United States Volunteers Commissary Department, Fort Union, New Mexico, April 7, 1862, to his sister Mrs. H. F. Kirby, Salem, New Jersey; Accompanied by Cover
Tags: Fighting, Money, Prisoners of War, "Rebels" (Unionist opinions of)
People - Records: 2
Places - Records: 2
SOURCES
Amos F. Garrison II to Harriet F. Kirby, 7 April 1862, DL0068.012
