Chattanooga Tennessee Nov. 28^th 1863

 

"Dear Friend."

                        It is with unlimited pleasure that I once again avail myself of the present opportunity to write to you to inform you that I am on the land and among the living. I received your kind and friendly letter at Bridgeport Alabama just a few days before we left there. I was well pleased to receive a letter from you. After we left Bridgeport Alabama we had a long tedious march all over the sand Mountains and Valleys of Georgia and then after we were worn out with fatigue, marching we had to fight a hard battle at Chickamauga and got whipped and lost several thousand men killed, wounded, prisoners, forty two cannons, ammunition and small arms and a part of our wagon and ambulance trains and had to retreat back to Chattanooga where we fortified ourselves and the rebels followed us up and camped in plain view of us / on Lookout Mountain and Missionary ridge and on Lookout Valley and Chattanooga Valley. The rebels and our men shelled one another for over one month every day until the 23^rd of this month when another battle commenced and lasted until the night of the 25^th Our men went out of our entrenchments and advanced on the rebel works and charged on them and drove them from their rifle pits and entrenchments and works on the evening of the 25^th of this month and drove the rebels and completely routed the rebel Army and captured seventy two cannons and seven or eight thousand prisoners and a large quantity of small arms and ammunition besides a part of the rebel train also one of Bragg's orderlys and would have captured Bragg and his staff officers but our men had no cavalry. Our Army is still on the pursuit of the rebel Army. There was several wounded and two killed in our Regiment. The casuality of our company was as follows / killed Captain G. L. Bellows, Shederaich Brown, wounded, George Beebee, Joseph C. Goodell, Jas Powell and David Mulverhill all of these men was wounded and one killed by shells and cannon balls. Capt Bellows was shot through the head with a minnie musket ball. The battle field presented a horrible appearance Thousands of our men and rebels lay dead and wounded on the field. Some men were torn all to pieces by cannon balls and shells and some had their heads shot off and eyes shot out and limbs blown off. There were thousands and thousands of muskets, cartridge boxes, swords, belts, revolvers, clothing, blankets, knapsacks, haversacks and canteens, corn meal, flower and bacon lay scattered all over the field for miles. It is a cl complete Union Victory but a horrible thing to think of. Our Division has just started from here to reinforce some other point and are to be gone two weeks it is supposed that our Division / has gone to reinforce General Burnside at Knoxville Tennessee that is one hundred miles from here. Our Army and the rebels have had a fight at Knoxville with the rebels and whipped them in an open field fight General Burnsides army numbered 20,000 when the fight commenced and the rebel army commanded by Longstreeth 36,000. So says reports I heard just now that our regiment has been detached since they started to help guard prisoners and take them North There is the largest depot house in Chattanooga that I ever seen in all my travels and it is crowded full of rebel prisoners. I am very unwell and have been for the last two months. I was very unwell when I was at Bridgeport Ala. In fact I have not to say been in good health since last June. I hope that these few lines may find you and Martin in good health and surrounded with pleasant surroundings enjoying yourselves with all the luxuries of life. I believe that I have written all the news with these few remarks I will close requesting you to write whenever it will be convenient for you to do so for I am always very glad to hear from you. No more at present

 

I remain your Friend and well wisher            F. M. Kelley

 

 

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Direct your letters to

                        Francis M. Kelley

                        Co F 51^st Regiment

                        Illinois Vounteer Inft

                                    Chattanooga

                                                Tennessee

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