Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-01-15
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
Interesting Letter from Lieutenant John
IbrrhnflL
IIsApauAnrrn' 1924 Rre'r o v, /

" 81 Y
RunsslLLvnIE, Ky, Dec. 81 lsCgl
Mn. j. EsnLL, Dfar Sir.--Perinu mo 10
drop you few lines, which, if considered worthy,
may lind place in the FARMER As this s NV
brsL attempt al writing for publication, beg you
to make due allowance for, and correct all errors
Every word from the lO2d Regiment isread with
Interest by the numerous friends anl relations of
the boys, in Holmes and the adjoining Counties
After an unsuccessful march of go miles in
pursuit of Old Bragg weiUund Ourselves at Bow.
lhEglccn, Ky, ON the 3Oth of October; where we
devoted about three weeks to drilling, standing
picket and sleeping on the ground without tents
AT this tiHc Capt. Huston, by sudden aud uc
ccssiul dash on the Quartcrmastcr, succeeded in
procuring tent to the JOY nnd approval of all tho
boys Of the Regiment, and VIC we're ordered 10
remove Our oncnlnpmcnt to tho Sesteido of town
with promise OF making IL our winter quarters
About the time the boys had their tents comfort.
ably fixed by putting chimneys in them, Sc. we
were again ordered to change our location TO n G.
comtnodate Gen. Granger. Again we fixed M
with the positive assurance that it should be our
winter qulrtcrs, and again were doomed to disap
pointmcht by being order by railroad to this
place, ~ miles southwest OF Buwlinggrecn on the
Louisville " Memphis railroad, with the promise
that we should return ina few days. We left the
Quartcrmaster with his department. the teams.
and our sick and conyalcscent Mt Bowhnr-recn
Our deaths amount TO about per cent. which
added to the sick takes about 400 from our regi.
ment. Upon arriving at Russellyillo we pitched
our tents, aud in day or two our teams came
nlang ana we gave up all idea of returning to Bow
linggrcen. When days here Col. Given Joined
us; he having been at home few weeks to recruit
his health. The Colonel brought with him 900
Springfield rifles. They are splendid ,.mts. and
the boys are ,hghlj delighted with them. Should
we meet the enemy the boys of company A will
make good use of them and acquit themselves to
the credit OF Holmes county.
Our company viii ch numbers 20 effective men.
WHICH s 10 percent more than any other compauy
in tho regiment, was called to furnish detail of
5O men and commissioned officers to 20 miles
below ousscllYille to guard briglc which had
been burnt some weeks before by the rebels and
was being rebuilt The duty was assigned to
Z ,icutenint Castor, myself and 80 of our men,
aad ~ carpenters. Among our number was John
llanua, OF 4Hlersburg, Thomas Hays of Benton:
and Dixon Johns Of Berlin. at the end OF hree
days, and after completing the bridge, Colonel
Bruce, our acting Brigadicr. General, came along
and Informed us that our Regiment had gone TO
Clarksvic, Tennessee. 2s miles below here. on
the railroad and on the Cumberland river, and
ordered Lieutenant Castor and 81 of our men to
proceed on foot and join the Regiment, and my
self and the other ID guard the bridge G. =
Richards Ii. Orr, J. II. A. Rohrer, WIN. Cole
Laughed. and somc Of the Nashville boys. all
OF whom are reliable.
Here with this squad ofthc Holmes county BOYS.
and the niegers who are swarming around as nu.
merOus as the locusts Of Egypt, | have taken nv
Christmas, enjoying myself in some respects. We
have plenty to cat The darics are exceedingly
anxious to trade with the soldiers for lttle cof.
fee, sugar, rice, sc. They have been without
these luXulies for several months, cxccptinr as
they trale with Union solde,s
Sciow here We have two bridges to build, one
over Rcd Rive, and the other over the Cumbcr.
:ahd near Claksyille, which will be commenced
il few days.
Before closing, must say a word in reference
u the toru nation Of our national troubles am
Irec 10 confess that soldiers have very poor oppor
tunltics for acquiring information as to how mat
tors are moving along but the facts are known
to all tlat hundreds Of Thousands If valuable
lives have been sacrificed, thousands made crip.
pies Tor life and millions Of The public money ex
pended in the attempt to restore the Union by |
force, and what has been gained The echo an
sWers--what Not one rcbelious State has been
won back to loyalty. On the other hand. the |
yawning gulf OF hatred which separates the two
sections is becoming daily wider and deeper The .
patriotic heart tlcmbles lest our national great
ness, with all the glory o. the past and hopes for
utS tuture, become huriel b meath it's uufa thnnl.
able depths. These facts standing out in char
acters of living light are enough to teach the un
DeheNlhg world that fighting will not restore this
c"Vc hVlN tlhon oi ours 10 Is, therefore, the
.uty OF the American people to look this matter
Iuli In the face, and to make an attompt to re-
store the Union by some other means believe
hat an honorable COMPROMISE is now the only
means whereby the Union can be restored and
With this imperfect sketch of the duinrs of
he i0@d Regiment, will close by saving that
lave just received dispatch from hcad1uatters
,,rTdering us to join the Regiment at Clarksville,
Tenn. Respectfully,
Lieut. ], EBFPUART