1st Wisconsin Cavalry

Item LTR-159

Description

This grouping consist of 10 war dated (1862-1863) letters written by Private/Bugler William G. Travis – all are written in period ink and include envelopes. The letters have been transcribed and are included with the grouping. Most of the letters were written from Cape Girardeau, MO.

Below are some excerpts from the letters:

Camp life is the same thing over every day but I prefer it to housework. It has been raining here all day so we have had nothing to do but eat, read and sleep. It is my day tomorrow to cook if we don’t leave. The rumor is we shall between now and Monday. We were all ready to go last Tuesday. We are all anxious to see the rebels and have a brush. I am glad you think enough of a soldier to write. I think the girls should if they cannot fight.
They can write a few lines to the boys.

The rebels are very thick in the woods around Bloomfield. They have taken some of our boys prisoner at Camp Torry. One of them has come in. He had to take the oath to save his life.

I am very glad they are going to force some of the Missourians to enlist but am sorry the Wisconsin boys have to be drove in.

We are drilling now every day on horseback so it keeps us very busy. We go in the country about a mile to drill. It is a pleasant ride.

We have lost another man; our first Sergeant. He died about 8 P.M. Me and Charlie Cassidy have just laid him out and are staying with the corpse.

I am very sorry they will have to draft in Wisconsin but the rebels must be whipped some way or other. I heard that Jake Place has got a Capt Commission to raise a Co so I guess my brother John will enlist now anyway and I guess you will have to part with one of your brothers too.

I have to tell you the painful news that our Regt is all cut to pieces and taken prisoners. What is left is scattered all over the country. I am very glad I was not with them.

While we was there they went out on a scout and drove the secesh from their camp and captured about 50 horses and 8 mules and 3 wagons and killed 2 men besides taking some more prisoners.

I told you in my last that the Regt had gone to Greenville. We are expecting to follow them in a few days. We had orders to have our team ready to go on short notice. How soon we shall leave we can’t tell. I heard we should be stationed at Greenville this winter so I expect to join my Company very soon but the Quartermaster is going to keep me driving as long as he can.

Our men went to Greenville and got reinforcement and went back and drove the rebels out. They then left a few men to guard the sick and went back to Greenville. The rebels then came back and took them all prisoners and made them take the oath and let them go. You know James Wild that used to work for Dainton, he was taken prison in Arkansas. He was in the fight when the rebels took our train. They took 9 men and 1 Lieutenant from Company F. He is now in St. Louis on Parole. There is some talk of sending the union prisoners to Minnesota to guard the Indians. We heard they would send our Regiment there. I wish they would. It is too good to be true. We are getting some new recruits for our Regiment. About 30 came in last night. Most of them from Beaver Dam.

I suppose you have heard before this time about our train being attacked and destroyed in the night of August 1st. The started from here on the 1st for Bloomfield and camped 20 miles from here with 10 guards instead of the sergeant doing his duty and placing out pickets. He let the guards go to bed about 12 o’clock at night. The rebels came in on them killing two wagon masters, one assistance, three drivers and six of the guards and burnt 26 wagons. The mules was tied to the wagons. Some of them was burnt. The rebels got off with 12 horses and about $600 they took from the men.

There has been a good many boys discharged lately out of the Regiment and there is lots of them sick. We have had two more deaths in our Company. Our Regiment is getting very small. We can’t muster one battalion of men fit for duty and we have very few officers.