Island No 10            April 9/62

Freind

            I embrace almost the First favourable oportunity of penning you a few lines after the Surrender of this formidable Stronghold Island now surrendered Unconditionally about midnight of the 7^th April, 1862. Immediately following we received orders to pack knapsacks and get aboard of the Steamboat Memphis with the utmost haste Knapsacks were packed that night with alacrity and the 42 were soon on their way up the river towards Hickman with orders to cooperate and Support the Cavalry and artillery and cut of the enemys retreat we landed about the dawn of day and were soon marching through town. Windows & doors were thrown wide open White Hankerchiefs waved by recently Seesesh females old men and/Rushed out to look at us one old man declared there was nothing in gods world could pass that Regt. we marched to the top of the bluff and there Stacked arms with the artillery in front commanding the only road the rebels could make their exit. the cavalry went out to reconnitre and did not return till near Sundown and reported the country clear of the enemy as far as the Island we all then knew that Genll Pope had them fast we returned to the memphis and proseeded down the river towards the Island laid at our old camping ground all night it rained and thundered heavy and continual during the night i was Lucky enough to be on guard the same night consequently got a good ducking up all night the 7^th and on guard the night following 8^th you may M^r Wikoff think that rather hard but the fact is i dont think any thing of it i have got used to all that now i can/roll into my blanket and lay down in a fense corner anywhere and sleep sound and wake up as fresh as a daisy in the morning you may think that ridiculious but my Freind it is nevertheless the truth M^r Wikoff it is hard to be a soldier at first but when a man gets used to it and is able to indure the fatigue and hardship he can go it like a buck we Struck tents and put all camp equippage aboard and proseeded down the river to Island N^o 10 on the 8^th where we now are i have been all over the Island it is a small but beautiful Island containing i presume 150 acres of very good Land Surounded by the Missippian Soil well adapted to raising wheat or corn it also contains a splendid peach and apple orchard the peach trees Just begginning to blossom it looks nice the buildings are riddeled and blown to peises with Shell and ball the ground/pretty thouroughly grubbed with the same and large excavations in the earth caused by the bursting of Lincoln shells Batteries erected all over and mounted with guns of the heaviest calibre at every availible point we Captured on the Island 250 prisoners one company of infantry belonging to an alabama Regt the balance gunners from Lousiana & alabama about one half are Irish Laubourers who were in the south at the Comencement of the war they freely Confess they would not permit them to come north when the war broke out but Compelled them to take their oath of allegiance to the bogus Confederacy all that did not feel inclined to do so were thrown into prison and a goodly number Shot down and hanged for what they termed being damned abolitionists they all sean the Foreighn postion of them glad they are taken/

 

Old M^r Sturgis from Chicago has been here the last three weeks he is now fairly beside himself with Joy at the surrender he is running to and fro all over the Island they fetched over a prisoner from the tennesean Main Shore opposite the Island & Citizen who refused to take the oath of allegiance to our Flag and government his wife a beautiful and quite young woman Accompanied him She advised him with tears in her eyes to take the oath but he stubornly refused to do so i was sorry for the woman but not for him well M^r Sturgis came up about the time they were parting took of his hat and Saluted the lady and hopped or wished that She might enjoy More pease and liberty in the future/than She had for the last 12 months She looked quite disdainful at the old gentleman cast her eyes to the ground and made no reply this i thought was disgusting and unbecoming any Lady M^r Sturgis turned round and laughed then parted Saying to the Citizen why man you must be foolish i would take almost any oath to possess Such a woman the other Sunday morning he was aboard of our boat amongst our officers he got up all at once Saying this will never do we must have preaching to day ill go down and get Commodore Foote to come up and pray and i will preach be damt if i dont and Started of that was the last of him that day he is well liked by the boys i had a very interesting conversation with one of the alabama gunners he said he was a native of Pensylvania emigrated South Six years ago dutch descent 7 months ago he was dragged from his/Family & Home at midnight when graves give up their dead, and hell itself breaths forth its pestilence, and marched at the point of the bayonet to the recruiting compelled to take the oath but Said he extending his right arm towards our Flag that old flag must & Shall Wave yes i replied taking him by the hand it will Soon waive triumphantly over all the cotton States Says he if i had dared to express the true sentiments of my heart thus two days ago them cowardly Bgg, pointing to two officers under guard would have put a bullet through my Brains quicker than you would Say Scat i could relate many such tales but time will not permit the officers are smart intelligent looking men the privates tough and hardy looking and consider themselves as effeceint as any in the Southern army the gunners were considered No 1 Crack of alabama/the officers uniform consists of grey Home made Cloth the finest quality Large red stripes running Clear down the outside of their pants legs red stripes across the breast and Sleeves of their Coats Brass buttons immitation of a Swan on their Cap of the Same Material with a broad red Stripe all round it they are very partial to the red and grey the privates uniform of the same Material only of a coarser quality and a great many without uniform of any description we are now on our way down to new Madrid bound for Memphis the fleet went down this morning 100 guns 5 Steamboats an immense quanty of Commissiary and ammunition and 5800 prisoners two Regts were taken up to their middles in water trying to make their escape my kind Compliments to all     John Stark

 

[margin:          Write Soon Good Bye—]

 

[envelope postmarked Cairo Ill 1862 to John Wikoff Esqr/Ontario/Knox Co/Illinois]

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