This partial letter was written by a member of Co. D, 72nd Illinois Infantry—the “First Chicago Board of Trade Regiment.” Raised in Cook county. The letter was addressed to his friend Rocelia Lucretia Hemingway (1808-1886), the daughter of Allen Hemingway (1808-1886) and Marietta Linsley (1808-1842) of Leydon, Cook county, Illinois. Mentioned in the letter are Rocelia’s two brothers, Rodney A. Hemingway (1835-1863) and (her half-brother) Anson Tyler Hemingway (1844-1926) who also served in Co. D. Rocelia was married to George Andrew Stoughton (1834-1914) in March 1855.

The letter pertains to the scouting expedition made by four companies in the 72 Illinois Infantry (240 men) from Columbus, Kentucky, to Covington, Durhamville, & Fort Radolph, Tennessee to rout out rebel guerrillas. For a full description of the orders and actions taken on this scout, see September 18, 1862-October 5, 1862, Anti-guerrillas expedition.

Transcription

Columbus [Kentucky]
Wednesday, October 9, 1862

Rocelia, dear friend,

You must excuse me for not writing to you sooner but if you would only stop to think of the conveniences that soldiers have to write, you would wait patiently for one to come if not oftener than twice a year. When we sit down to write we are sometimes called away three or four times before we get it wrote. But I suppose you won’t believe that I am writing the truth. But never mind. If you was a soldier you would find it out.

It is raining now almost as fast as it did the night that we was at your house when [your husband] George was home and there is a little river running through our tent. If it keeps on, we may make a small boat to keep us from getting drowned.

I have been down to Tennessee with a scouting party. Four companies of our regiment started down the river September 27th. When we got to Island No. 10, we took on 20 [from Co. L, 2nd Illinois] cavalry. Then we went to New Madras. There we took on 60 more [from Co. D, 2nd Illinois] cavalry & two pieces of artillery [from Capt. De Golyer’s Batter]. Then we went to Fort Pillow. We landed Monday morning [29 September]. Then we was joined by four companies of the 52nd Indiana Regiment. In the afternoon we started out in the country. We marched until 10 o’clock at night. Then we halted for the night in the road. ¹ As soon as we stacked arms, we went to foraging. We took everything we could lay our hands on. We killed hogs turkeys, geese, ducks, & chickens and cooked them on a stick. We got sweet potatoes. Them we roasted in the ashes. I went through the house in the morning and everything that could be eat and things cooked were taken away. Someone even took the bucket that they drew water out of the well with. I did not touch anything in the house.

We took one prisoner. One of the boys went under the house to look for chickens and found a two legged chicken hid there. We brought him home with us. We took two mules, one barrel of sugar, and one barrel of molasses just so we done all along our journey.

We started on in the morning. As we went along, we could see where the rebel cavalry had been feeding their horses and had heard us coming and left. We got to a place called Covington about 11 o’clock. We marched on through the town and about two miles beyond there we stopped for dinner. When we had eat our dinner, the colonel ordered us to march. We went a little ways, then we met a man that told us that Jackson was only about 8 miles ahead of us. Then the colonel ordered a countermarch and we started for Fort Pillow. We stopped at night about 30 miles from the fort. This time we foraged just the same as we did the night before. Some of the boys broke a piano and sewing machine all to pieces.

We started for the fort in the morning. I was detailed for one of the rear guard to fetch up all those that fell back that was tired and worn out. We had to force them on and them that couldn’t walk put on the wagons for the rebels followed to pick up all the stragglers. We got to the Fort 10 o’clock at night. As soon as the regiment at the fort heard that we were coming, they sent out wagons to meet us & get the sick. When we got to the fort, we was all pretty tired. I stood the march as well as anyone in the regiment. We took on the march 42 mules and horses, 5 wagons, 4 or 5 barrels of sugar and molasses, two wagon loads of cotton, and about 12 prisoners, 1 rebel captain and one we shot dead. I had a pretty mule but it was so wild I could not ride him so I let him go. We slept 8 nights in the open air with half of our blanket under and half over us. We didn’t take our knapsack or dress coat or overcoat with us; just our blouse and blanket. Anson and Rodney [Hemingway] did not go with us for they were sick. [unsigned]

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¹ The party bivouacked for the night at the plantation of a notorious and avowed secessionist named Overall.