The following letters were written by John L. Roberts (b. 1838), a native of Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, who was earning his living as a farmer in Clear Creek township, Alexander county, Illinois at the time the Civil War began. When he enlisted as a corporal in Co. E, 18th Illinois Infantry on 28 May 1861, he was described as a 5 foot 7 inch tall, brown-haired, blue-eyed, single, 23 year-old farmer. John had recently been promoted to a sergeant before the Battle of Shiloh which he describes in some detail in the first letter. In that two-day fight, the regiment lost 10 killed, 63 wounded and 2 missing—all on the first day. The 3 color bearers who carried the flag in the first day’s conflict were all killed while supporting the banner. 

John Roberts actions in the battle no doubt earned him recognition and he was later commissioned a lieutenant by Captain Charles H. Reed. Also serving with him in the same company was his older brother, Sgt. Benjamin Franklin Roberts (b. 1835) who became seriously ill in the spring of 1862 and had to be discharged for disability in July 1862.

The 18th Illinois Infantry saw its first major action at Fort Donelson in February 1862 where it occupied the right of Oglesby’s brigade, on the right of the line of battle, and during the second day’s fight lost 200 men in killed and wounded, 50 dying upon the field and 10 soon afterward. The regiment during the battle bravely and persistently maintained the position to which it was assigned in the early morning, and not until its ammunition was spent was the order to retire given.

Letter 1

Pittsburg, Tennessee
March 31st [1862]

Dear Brother & Sister,

As I have a little time this morning I will write you a few lines in answer to yours of the 27th. I have just received a letter from Benjamin. He is a Clear Creek [and] has been very sick but is now able to be around. He will stay there till he is able for duty.

I saw the boys of the Ohio 20th a week ago. Tip was not very well. Dan and Ed are both very fleshy. Ed is much larger than either of us. I received a letter from Giles the other [day]. They are well at home.

We have been here since the 22nd. We stopped two days at Savannah. Our Colonel who was wounded returned a few days ago. He leaves again this morning for home—is not able to take command yet. Our Major who has been under arrest so long has resigned. Our Lieut. Colonel is still under arrest. The boys that was wounded are all getting well. But one has died since I last wrote (that is, from our camp). We don’t have but very little sickness [in the] regiment. We have but one in our camp. He stays in my tent and is quite sick and there is but little attention paid to him by the doctors. We have no hospital tents with us.

We have orders to be ready to march at a moment’s warning. There is but three tents to go with the regiment so we will have to stem the weather without tents from this on.

You said you had sent us some papers. We did not get them. Our mail is very uncertain. The news here that the Rebels are fortifying Corinth about twenty miles from here. My opinion is that there will be a big fight or a big dud. I should rather think the latter as we have a large force here.

We have been having very fine weather here for a week past. The fields begin to look quite green with grass wild plums, and peach trees are in full bloom.

I will now close as it is impossible for me to write when there is from one to a half dozen talking to me which is the case this morning. I will write again as soon as convenient. Ben says he will probably sell out before he comes back. If he does, we will make you a visit as soon as we are discharged and spend a few weeks at home. I will enclose your letter in an envelope which was sent to me from a friend.

Direct to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee

Respectfully yours, — J. L. Roberts

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Letter 2

Pittsburg [Landing], Tennessee
April 10th 1862

Dear Brother,

As you have doubtless heard of the late battle here, would be anxious to know how we came out. I am happy to [say] Ben and I luckily came through without a scratch, although Benjamin was not in action as he did not get here from home till we had been thrown back in the rear as a reserve.

Our regiment did not suffer here as they did at Donelson—only 9 or 10 killed and 18 or 19 wounded which we thought very lucky as we was engaged a part of two days. We lost the most of our men the first day. We was ordered to retreat by our Major [Samuel Eaton] who was in command of the regiment—an order which he had no occasion for giving at that time although he was wounded. That through us in confusion and some of them retreated so far that they could not be found to rally again.

After we had rallied the men that was left, the rebels came up again and undertook to charge a battery but failed in the attempt. We had a good position and just raked them from two [directions]. Major [Mason] Brayman took the flag and rode up and down our lines and cheered us on (Brayman is a staff officer of our division). ¹

Monday we followed close in the rear of the forces that was engaged until late in the day [when] we was ordered to charge a battery which had been charged twice by our force but could not hold it. We charged it and held it and gave them about forty rounds of canister before they got out of range of the battery. Our Captain [Charles H. Reed] fired a gun three times before he could get a man to help him. He then was assisted by our 2nd Lieutenant [Daniel W. Flick] and Capt. [Henry S.] Wilson [of Co. B] and myself. The General ² told our Captain he should have the battery so we hitched on and soon was ready for action again. ³

I cannot tell you but little about the battle—only what I saw myself [and] that was but a small portion. But one thing I know, that there was a perfect stampede of our forces on Sunday. They conducted themselves shamefully—both men and officers. They run and left but few braves to face the enemy who kept them from all being taken prisoners or brutally slaughtered. I will now close hoping to hear from you soon. I will write when I have time.

— John L. Roberts

¹ Major Mason Brayman, an AAG on the staff of Gen. McClernand, is credited with helping to rally the troops of McClernand’s command to make a stand. For his bravery at Shiloh, Brayman was promoted to a Colonel on 15 April 1862 and given the command of the 29th Illinois Infantry.

² Roberts does not identify the general by name but the first general in the Union chain of command of the Division in which the 18th Illinois was a part of would have been Major General John McClernand. The 18th Illinois was commanded by their Major Eaton). The 1st Brigade, of which they were a part, was commanded by a Colonel (Ware), and they were a part of McClernand’s 1st Division of Grant’s Army of the Tennessee.

³ One source describes this action as follows: “On the morning of the 7th the regiment fell in as a reserve to General Thomas L. Crittenden’s brigade. At about 2 PM they charged a Confederate battery, capturing two 6-pounder brass field pieces, one of which Captain Charles H. Reed, of Co. E loaded and brought to bear upon the retreating enemy, giving them three shots unassisted. He was then assisted by Captain Wilson and Lieutenants Daniel Flick and John Davis [could they mean John Roberts?], and fired 15 or 20 rounds into the retreating Confederate cavalry. [see Shiloh National Military Park]

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Letter 3

Army in the field
Camp near Monterey [Tennessee]
May 26, 1862

Dear Brother,

I have not received any letters from you for a long time but as our mail is very uncertain, I account for it in that way. I went to the river with Benjamin the 14th of this month, but him aboard a hospital boat (or rather a receiving boat for the hospital). He had been quite sick but was better when I left him than he had been for several days before. I have been watching the papers daily to see him name among the list of sick arriving at the hospital. I have not heard from him yet. He took with him his Descriptive Roll so that he could get his discharge which he perhaps has got and gone home to Ohio.

I received a note from Ed yesterday. They are camped at Shiloh Church about 14 miles from here [and] 3 miles from the river landing. They are having considerable sickness in the regiment. Ed Perfect ¹ died not long ago. Leroy [Perfect] and Henry Wilson has gone home. Henry was very sick when he left. They are camped on the battlefield. I expect the stench from the carnage is what causes them sickness. I camped at the church a few nights ago [and] the stench was very disagreeable then. I did not know that the boys was there at the time. I am in hopes they will soon be relieved as they are there guarding the road from the landing.

Our Division is one of the reserve divisions. We are on the right and rear of the extreme right. We have heavy duty to do here standing guard [and] building breastworks, but we are pretty healthy. We can hear skirmishing along the lines every day, sometimes pretty heavy.

This is our fifth camp since we commenced advancing. I saw Henry Case about five weeks ago. He is in the 34th Illinois Regiment and Sam Beaty is in the 9th Indiana. I have not heard from home lately. The last I heard they was well. I will now close. you will direct to Pittsburg Landing. Write soon. — John L. Roberts

¹ Edwin R. Perfect (1839-1862) was the son of William Perfect (1797-1882) and Maria Stark (1804-1870) of Trenton, Delaware county, Ohio. Ed was a corporal in Co. D, 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He died of disease on 3 May 1862 in Shiloh Church which had been converted into a hospital. Leroy Perfect (Edwin’s cousin) and Henry Wilson also served in the same company. They both contracted typhoid fever and were put on a steamer and taken to a hospital in Cincinnati. [See 20th Ohio Vol. Infantry]