16th Ohio Infantry

Item LTR-9893

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Germantown, TN
March 13, 1863


My Dear Aunt,

You and cousin must indeed be anxious to hear from me. Since I last wrote you I have been almost everywhere in West Tennessee and even away up to Columbus, KY. Nearly half way home.

I confess I am just a little bit tired of soldiering, in fact we all are, but the thing must be [done]. This Rebel concern will have to be done away with before we go home.

We moved down here from Moscow a few days ago. It rained nearly all day. As it generally does when there is any moving to be done and we went into camp on a low piece of ground. The mud was about a foot deep. Soldiers find a remedy for everything having got our tents up, we made a splendid charge a field a half mile in width and surrounded a fence and captured the boards to floor our tent. What do you think of that my dear Aunt? Tearing up a good strong fence down to get the boards to sleep on. We thought when we left Moscow we were going to Memphis. But that prospect has all died away.

What puzzles me to know why we were sent to Moscow a short time since, only to come poking back here right away though the rain and mud. I suppose it is all for the best if it is not very pleasant. We are getting tired of this part of the country. We know it all by heart. It would be quite a pleasant change to be sent to Vicksburg or over into Texas.

There has not been much to do lately. But the fine weather is coming on now and we will be kept busy enough cleaning out the many guerrilla bands in Tenn. The 7th Kansas and the 4th Ill Cavalry whipped a lot of them two or three days ago. I should have liked first rate to have been along. The guerrillas are such mean rascals. We are in a cavalry brigade, commanded by Colonel Lee. We were in hopes we should be attached to our old 4th Division. We were in it from the battle of Shiloh until Grant advanced down into Mississippi, but that seems to have all fallen through.

I should like to have had my horse at Uncle Joe’s corn crib yesterday. He had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours. That’s a way we cavalry have of fattening our stock. We only allow them to eat anything six months of the year.

Remember me to Uncle Joe and Aunt Sophie. My health is good and I am pretty lazy. Nothing new is it? Please let mother know when you receive this or she will be uneasy. Tell me about everything when you write.

Good bye, with much love
Your runaway
A. B. Drum