Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-04-09
A MUCH VALUED WAR
TIME SOUVENIR
Letter Written by Col. G. W. Cros-
ley Following the Battle
Of Shiloh.

Mrs G. W. Crosley we were inform
ed that she had carefully preserved
the many letters she had received
from Colonel Crosley during the
War of the Rebellion. These old
letters cover the full period OF the
Colonel's service, beginning May FL.
1861, and ending May II, 1865.
Complying with our earnest request,
she has kindly given us copy OF
one of these old letters. At the
time it was written Mrs. Crosley---
then Miss Edna M. Risdon-was
living with her parents near the
village of Hopkinton, st. Lawrence
county, New York, and at that time
AS will be seen by a persual of
the letter-the Colonel was serving
as First Lieutenant of Company r.,
Third Regiment Iowa Infantry Vol
unteers, and had participated in
both days of the Battle of Shiloh,
April and z, 1862. AS those an
niversary dates are now at hand,
this old letter. written fifty years
go-cannot fall to prove interest
ing to our readers, many of whom
are personal acquaintances and
friends of the Colonel and his wife.
The letter which follows-with
some personal matters eliminated
is a verbatim copy of the original:
Camp Bird Iowa Infantry, Pitts
burg Landing, Tenn, April 10,
ls62.-My Dear Edna: wrote you
hasty note the day after the bat
tie for the purpose of letting you
know of my safety. I now sit down
to attempt task fear am incap-
able OF performing in satisfactory
manner, that of giving you some
thing of an account of the great
conflict through which we have just
passed. It would be superfluous in
me to claim that was able to des-
cribe the events which occurred dur
ing the battle, beyond those in
which participated, and to which
! was personal witness. A soldier
never sees but part of a great bat
tie. He may be in the thickest of
the fight but his duty calls his at
tention to the conflict that Is raging
Immediately around him. He sees
only what transpires where his own
company, regiment, or brigade is
engaged. 1t was my melancholy
privilege, however, to ride over the
battlefield after the struggle was
over. You have no doubt read many
accounts of the horrible scenes pre-
scented on that field. l can only say
that any attempt at description by
me must fall far short of the real
ity, and besides 1t is not a pleasant
subject to dwell upon. Just call to
mind the horrible scenes OF which
you have read or heard, and you
may be able to form some concep-
tion of those witnessed on that
bloody field. While write soldiers
are marching by, to the sound OF
solemn music, following some poor
comrade to his last resting place
and the hills are echoing with vol,
leys OF musketry which are being
fred over the graves of those who
fell in battle. 1t was our first duty
to pay the last sad rites to our OWL
dead, and then to collect and bury
the dead of the enemy. This is the
third day after the battle and still
great numbers Of the dead rebels re,
main unburied. 1t will probably
be several days before the task Is
completed. The loss upon bott
sides was very great but 1t is i'm
possible to ascertain the number a.
this time. You will get it in the
papers as soon as we will know 1T
We now know the correct loss o.
our own regiment. 1t stands as fol
lows:
Killed 1888. az
Wounded ........... 10
Missing Captured by the enemy 4;
lOIdl 'So'
Nearly all those OF our regimen
who are missing and in the enc
my's hands are known to have beer
wounded. I was in command o
Company F, until near the close o
the battle on Sunday, as none o
the commissioned officers OF tina
company were present for duty. NJ!
own company---E-was near us il
line of battle, and both suffered
about equal loss in killed ant
wounded Col. Williams Of our reg
iment commanded the brigade. HI
horse was shot under him, and him
self 50 badly disabled that he had t
be carried of the field. Col. Pug
OF the Forty First Illinois succeed
ed him as brigade commander. Ou