On board boat Jan 7^th 65

 

Dear brother

                                                                        It is with pleasure I now sit down to inform you that I am one among the number that did not get killed at Nashville I am well I have not heard from you since I left S^t Louis which has been over a month We left S^t Louis some time in Nov I have forgoten the date and I have put up my Diary for 64 but it was near the last and moved slowly down the Mississippi river to Cairo and from there up the Ohio river untill we reached Smithland or the mouth of the Cumberland and from there we found our way to Nashville where we unloaded and/ formed battle line to receive Old Hood who was marching on that way we throwed up breast works of dirt and stone something however that we (Smith’s men) were not used to we laid behind our works throwing a few shell every day untill the 18^th of Dec when we marched out and formed line of battle out side of our works to advance we had not gone more than about 1/2 mile before skirmishing began quite lively but we kept at going a head with our battery as fast as our infantry drove back the rebel skirmishers we craweled a long about 1 mile and brought our battery into position by and old brick house about 1000 yards from the rebs fort when a lively artillery duel took place which was kept up for 2 or 3 hours/ and to speak plain I never went to [ink blot] where shell and solid shot fly any thicker and faster than they did there they would strike the old house and the way the brick and mortar would fly was dangerous to look at my post was down under the hill in the hollow but I did not choose to stay there all the time I had to keep the limber chest of the guns suplied with amunition from the caisson which I did by by filling the limber chest of caisson and get it up to the position that the gun limber occupied as fast as one chest was emptied I would have another one filled about 3 PM our boys charged the rebels line of works and carried them that wound up our fighting for that day but the rebs told us/ that that was only their skirmish line and we would have to fight the next day next morning we got up about as usual not extra early and started forward again our line advanced slowly about two miles we took up a position in the wood and throwed a few shell and limbered up and went on to get closer to the rebs we went on some farther at double quick for we were in range of the rebs guns we took another position on a side hill about 1000 yard from 12 rebel 12 pounder guns that you know was close quarters but we soon stoped their noise we drove evry canoneer away from therir their guns but our amunition was played out but the rebs did not know it/

 

The rebs throwed one shell that struck the ex of my gun and exploded wounding five of my gun detachment but none of them seriously a piece of the band of the ex struck the gunner in the breast and knocked him down and he went to the rear awhile and that let me be gunner for the rest of the time about 2 oclock our boys charged their works again and the man that saw and heard that charge will not forget it it to the longest day of his life if it be 100 years years just fancy 60.000 muskets and and about 300 canon being fired as fast as they could be by enough men to man those there was 30000 of our men charged and drove about 30000 men from behind breast/ works and captured about 5000 men and 60 pieces of artillery then old Hood thought it time to retreat and started we followed him for well I dont know how for dont know but we are after him yet it commenced to rain right away after the battle and kept it up for everal day which made it very disagreeable marching where there was so many men and then it frose up and got as cold as is pleasant soldiering any way but we had it very cold before we left S^t L. and again it was very cold in Nashville while we were there so cold we had to lay in bed all time to keep from freesing to death but let me get back to my story we marched south to Pulaski and then turned west we struck the Tenn river at Clifton a small town between ft Donelson and pittsburg landing/ and onto boats and started up the river we have now been on the boats 4 days and have traveled about 100 miles we are now in Alabama but not far I donot know which way we will go when we leave here but expect to go up the river I donot know how far nor what for It is now about 1/2 2 half past 2 oclock morning you y may I got up early to write to you but I have nothing else to do now I must write one more before morning I went out a forageing New years day and did not get a thing to eat not as much as my dinner but I saw 14 deer han^t that a good many to see in one day I rode about 6 mile right through the wood with any kind of a path it was tracked up in there by deer as if there had been a flock of sheep running through it I am writeing now with Al Adams ink/ and and Al’s papp paper mine is down on another boat Jo Steele is well and a corporal to I will have to quit this and write to my Kate I got a letter from Jo G. the other day he is well I close by wishing you well give my best respects to all inquiring friends I wrote to you and Gav from Cairo before I remain as ever your brother

                                                                                                Jefferson S. Loveridge

 

John B Loveridge

P.S. Direct Battery “G” 2^nd Ill 3^rd Brigade 2^nd Division Gen AJSmiths command

SOURCES