The following letter was written by Charles H. Bayles of Co. H, 43rd Ohio Infantry who enlisted on 9 December 1861 to serve three years. He was a lowly private when he wrote this letter shortly after the Battle of New Madrid in March 1862. He was promoted to corporal in September 1863. In July 1864, while at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he requested authority to raise a cavalry company of 40 or 50 men in the regiment who were willing to continue to serve but were having difficulty remaining foot soldiers. This request was apparently denied. He remained with the regiment and was promoted to Sergeant before mustering out on 13 July 1865 as a veteran.

Charles’ letter gives a summary of the artillery dual on 13 March 1862 between Pope’s army and the Confederate gunners at New Madrid— a duel that lasted for most of the day. Meanwhile, Pope’s infantry were slowly advancing their trenches in the normal pattern for a formal siege, slowly getting closer to the Confederate defensive lines. That night the Confederate defenders of New Madrid abandoned the town and withdrew to Island No. 10.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Missouri
March 16, 1862

I thought that I would write a few lines today. It is Sunday today. We had a fight at New Madrid the 13th of March. We placed our battery on a ridge about a half of a mile from their fort. Our troops entrenched all night of the 12th and early in the morning of the 13th, our battery ¹ commenced firing upon the enemy at day break. Our troops marched down at 2 o’clock at night. At morning it commenced. They commenced firing upon us. The firing was kept up all day long. They killed eight of our army and wounded 8. They cut part of their town down to get range on us. We throwed shells into the fort. It is thought that we killed 2 or 3 hundred of the Secesh. They throwed them from the gunboats into the river as fast. We killed them about one hundred was found in their entrenchments. They had some guns 12 feet long, besides four or five gunboats. I should thought that they would never left such a fort as that.

The firing was kept up from daylight till dark and then the firing ceased. Our infantry laid back a half a mile from our battery. The cannon balls struck all round us. We was in a small piece of woods. They steered at us. The cannon balls cut trees a foot through right in two. They throwed shells at us and balls and canister shot. The ground was covered with cannon balls. Our Lieutenant-Colonel’s horse was shot through the body with a piece of shell. The Lieutenant shot holding him by the halter. There was not one of our company hurt at all but the cannon balls whizzed through the air like thunder. They dropped on our right and on our left. A cannon ball struck one of the boys in the company to our right in the breast. It cut him in two. The firing ceased at night.

Our company was sent out on picket at night. The next morning we calculated to go into them again but that same night they left the town. Everything was left. About 20 cannons was left in the fort. They had a strong fort.

I will write the particulars next time. Direct to Cairo, Illinois. 43rd [Ohio] Regiment, — Charles Bayles

To B. Bayles

I guess the war is about to a close.

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¹ This was probably the 11th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery that was attached to Pope’s Army.