Isaac Mark Abbott letter to Home, 12-24-1863
Camp Near Strawberry Plains, Tenn.
December 24th 1863
Dear Folks at Home, We have been notified that the mail will go out this evening and as I may not have another chance soon of writing I will try and scratch a few lines with my pencil & maybe you can make out enough of it to let you know that I am still above ground & in good health! I have got so far behind with my letter writing that I hardly know what to commence. I commenced a letter to you right away after the fight at Chattanooga but had only got it about half done when we were ordered to leave & I put it in my knapsack intending to finish it as soon as I had a chance. But me & knapsack are about 150 miles apart now & not much prospect of being together soon. So I will go back & give you an account of the fight & of our march to this place. So to begin! On the 23rd of Nov. we received marching orders with two days rations & 100 rounds of cartridges. We all knew full well what was in the wind & everyone went busily & silently about preparing for the serious business before us. At 12 AM we formed in line & marched outside of our fortifications in full view of the rebel camps & in range of their batteries. But they didn’t fire on us & we were assigned our different positions in the line of battle as quietly as though we were going out on drill. At 2 PM everything was in readiness & the long line began to move forward. We had not gone more than 100 yards till the pickets were engaged with those of the enemy & at the same time they opened two or three batteries on us & they were quickly answered by our big guns from the fort & from a few smaller field-pieces. The Rebs gave way as we advanced & as we went it as fast as we could get through the mud & brush it wasn’t long until we had gained their first line of works! We halted there & lay down to get out of the way of the shells that they were beginning to land into us rather freely. We lay there under fire till dark & strange to say not a man in our reg’t. was hurt although some of the shells came close enough to scatter the dirt & leaves all over us! As soon as it was dark we began throwing up a strong line of breastworks and worked faithfully at it all night. We planted a battery during the night & the next day was spent in laying behind our works & exchanging a shot or two with them occasionally. We were on picket that night so we got but little sleep. The next day at 10 AM we were ordered out on a skirmish & we had quite an interesting time of it. We drove their pickets back about a mile & then came back! We eat our dinners & then lay down to try & get a little sleep! But we had hardly got to sleep when the order came to move & we were soon over the works & in line of battle. & began moving towards Missionary Ridge we had got about 100 yds. on our way when the order was given double-quick & at the same moment the Rebel batteries from a dozen different points began shelling us. They had cut down trees & brush all over the bottom so that it was almost impossible for us to make our way through it at all! & the noise of the bursting shell around us was getting to be perfectly deafening. Many a poor boy fell in that brush never to rise again. We kept on running & dodging shells until we were tired nearly to death & it seemed to me that we never would reach the foot of the ridge where there was a strong line of works from which they kept up a steady fire of mucketry at us! But which we knew would shield us from the fire of their batteries if we could only reach it! When we got pretty close up to it they broke & ran & we fell down behind the works perfectly exhausted. We lay there about 10 minutes when the order was given to scale the ridge & then came the tug of war for the ridge was so steep that we could hardly climb it. & then the infernal devils were firing their musket balls at us as thick as hail from the top! But their batteries were almost harmless now for it was so steep that they could not depress their pieces enough to reach us. They stuck to their works until they were fairly pushed out of them by our bayonets! But we drove them like chaff before the wind. The advance drove them a mile or two that evening but our brigade stayed on the ridge! We had got mixed up so that it was some time before they got the reg’t. together & then I heard that Roe was shot! I found the fellow that helped carry him off the field & I got permission to go & hunt him up. There were some little log houses on the battlefield & they had carried him into one of them. He was in a great deal of pain & I stayed with him till after midnight & then got him into an ambulance & took him over to the camp at Fort Wovet. The reg’t came back to camp the next day & we at once received marching orders for Knoxville. We had already been without hardly any sleep for three nights & we were about played out but we had to face the music & on the 28th at about 2 PM we shoved out. Roe, Frank Moore & Josh Duncan & Cap were wounded out of our Co. & John Jones was killed & several of the other boys were played out, so that Co. K only numbered 14 men all told for the Knoxville campaign & we had no Capt. or Lieut. with us & only one sergeant! I will not give you an account of each day’s march, but merely not the most important points. The roads were rough & frozen so that we found it hard marching but they put us through on the fast line & the first of December found us on the banks of the Hiawassa River 50 miles from Chattanooga. I had quite a little adventure there that I must tell you about! While we were waiting to cross the river, I & two other boys concluded to go up the river a piece & kill a hot! We went up about a mile & shot our hog & skinned him & were about starting to camp when we looked up & saw some of our officers riding towards us so we gathered up the hog & ran down under the river bank to hide till they passed by. The bank was covered with cane & grapevines & as we slipped down into them – up jumped a Reb! Scared half to death! He surrendered to us in a hurry & we let him know that we would not hurt him if he behaved himself! He then told us that he belonged to the 38th Tenn. Reg’t & that he had deserted & was trying to make his way home. We took him to camp & Gen’l Willich ordered him to stay with us till we got to Knoxville. We brought him safely through & after we got to Knoxville he took the oath & was released. We crossed the river that evening & on the night of the 3rd we camped at SweetWater, a neat little town on the Knoxville & Chattanooga R.R. On the 5th we crossed the little Timm River & marched 12 miles after dark through the mud & water. On the 7th we reached Knoxville. We went into camp about two miles from town & stayed there till the 16th when we were ordered out here to support Gen’l Foster! This is about 15 miles from K. in a northern direction. I wrote you a short letter when we were at Knoxville. I suppose you received it ere this, the country that we passed through on our way here was full of hogs & chickens so we have been living at the top of the pot ever since we left Chattanooga. The mail has come in once since we came here but I didn’t get a word from home! I have not heard from Roe since & left him & I haven’t heard from John for two months. I would give a kingdom now for a letter from any of the folks but if you don’t hear from me very often you must not think that there is anything the matter for I have no writing materials with me & there is no chance to buy here! The health of the Co. is good. I was never in better health in my life & if I could only get a letter from home I wouldn’t care whether school kept or not. Tomorrow is Christmas & I guess that we will be on picket but I must close. Write soon & direct via Chattanooga. I will bring this to a close by wishing you all a Merry Christmas! Good bye. I.M. Abbot |
Life of a Civil War Soldier in Battle |
Isaac Mark Abbott letter to brother Roe Abbott, 08-19-1864
Chattanooga
August 19th 1864
Dear Brother Roe, By the providence of God I am again permitted to engage in the ever pleasant duty of writing to you! + + + I say by the providence of God because we have been in a fight since I wrote you last and whenever I get out of a battle safe I consider that it is by the mercies of our heavenly Father, who has watched over us & protected us by his all powerful arm from the deadly bullets of the enemy and we would be very ungrateful not to give him the praise! I suppose you have seen some account of our little biz in the papers ere this, but be that as it may an account of the part taken in it by the 68th will I know be interesting to you so I will try and give you the details of our operations. + + Sunday afternoon about five o’clock we received orders to fix up our traps & be ready to march right away! I was down to the river swimming at the time & didn’t know anything about till I came up & found them just ready to start. So I jerked on my tricks in double-quick time & went off without any supper. We marched down to the depot and there we found six reg’ts on the cars waiting for us so we piled on and were soon rolling away to the front, as fast as two engines could carry us. It was dark when we arrived at the junction of the Knoxville road & there we had to wait about two hours for some trains that were coming back from Dalton. When they came in they reported the Rebs in Dalton at sundown and that they were fighting the garrison in the streets when they left. They estimated their force as about 1500 and the garrison was composed of the 2nd Missouri 300 strong and about 150 convalescents. The Rebs were of Wheeler’s gang and he was commanding them in person. They had captured 1500 head of beef cattle that were on the way to the front & had been cutting up jack generally! We passed the trains at last and were once more flying over the rough road and we soon found ourselves in the swamps and thickets of Georgia and at about 11 P.M. we hauled up at the mouth of Tunnel Hill. It was not considered safe to run the old Iron Horse any farther for we were then within 7 miles of Dalton so we got off & started on by the right flack. We went about three miles & then halted. We sat down on the R.R. and in about a minute we heard the artillery belching away. It was a nice moonlight night, and I tell you it made a fellow feel kinder all-over-ish! to set there in that deep & lonesome valley of Buzzard Roost and listen to the thundering of rebel canon with the expectation of soon being under its fire. We set there till nearly daylight when our reg’t was ordered to go forward and take possession of a fort and line of works about half a mile in advance, which the rebs had possession of at dark so we about faced & went back a few hundred yards & got off of the R.R. & then struck off in the direction of the fort. They took 10 of us off of the right, deployed us out and started us ahead for an advance guard. We had to go through the weeds & brush up nearly to our heads and as there was a heavy dew we were soon as wet as though we had been in a river. It was pretty dark (for the moon had gone down) and I tell you I never felt so skittish on any little job before in my whole experience soldier, for we were expecting to run on to them every minute and we could have no chance to see them until they fired at us once. And I tell you it wasn’t very pleasant creeping along there in the dark expecting to be shot at, with no chance for our life, but we kept on & on until we could begin to see the grim outlines of the fort & still no rebs and we began clambering up the hill and in 5 minutes more were inside of the works without firing a gun for the Johnies had left it. The reg’t then moved up and took their position behind the works to wait further orders. We stayed there till about 7 A.M. and then we got orders to move forward. All was still in the direction of Dalton and we could see a big smoke & light in the city so we concluded that the garrison had surrendered and that the rebs were burning the town. We went up about ½ mile and there formed our line of battle. The other reg’ts came up and we had three pieces of artillery with us. We formed in single line of battle and sent forward a strong line of skirmishers. We had one negroe reg’t with us. They were next to us. Except one reg’t, we were moving forward in a few minutes and the skirmishers were soon popping away quite lively and in about 15 minutes we came in range of them. They were stationed in an old camp on a hill and as they could get behind the shanties for protection they had the advantage of us but when we got within 500 yards of them the order was given to charge & we went for them with a yell. The bullets flew think & fast for a few minutes but they couldn’t stand our charge & we soon had them skedadling most beautifully, and our artillery got into position and spend out on them with every gun and the Johnies never stopped running till they were out of range; but they formed again in the edge of town & we throwed forward the skirmishers again and moved up. We went right along and the skirmishers drove them back without our help. But the reg’t on our right didn’t get along so fast and we soon found ourselves under a crossfire and the order was given to lie down. They just more than popped it to us there for a minute or two but the right was reinforced & the rebs began falling back again along the whole line and in 20 minutes more we were in possession of the town! + + The rain just commenced pouring down about this time and in 15 minutes we were as wet as drowned rats. It came right down by the buckets fully for nearly two hours and it fairly flooded the streets! We went down to the R.R. & our reg’t took up their quarters in the depot building. The garrison had not surrendered as we had thought, but they had taken up a position in a king of half-fort on one side of the town and there they had held out for about 12 hours although surrounded on all sides by a force of four thousand with no artillery to protect them, while the rebs had two pieces playing on the at a distance of no more than 300 yards. It was about 7 ½ A.M. when we went into the fight and 10 when we got into the town so that we were engaged about 2 ½ hours, but the most of the time it didn’t amount to anything more than heavy skirmishing. Our loss was one killed & seven wounded. Our company came out without a scratch. The man who was killed belonged to company H. Cap. Wheeler was badly wounded and the surgeon don’t think he will get over it. Bob McKittrick & Mit Pendergrass were wounded and you know that little old Sergt. of Company E., he had his arm taken of close to the shoulder! I don’t the loss of the other reg’ts but I guess it wasn’t very heavy. The Rebs left a good many dead on the field and some wounded, but I can’t say how many! We stayed there till the 17th when we got on the cars & started back. We found the road torn up in three different places between there & here, and it was so badly torn up that we didn’t get in here till noon yesterday. Once place where it was torn up, there was an old secesher living in a nice house. Our men searched the place & found several guns and a lot of cartridges in the house so Gen’l Studman ordered it to be burned and there was a detail went up and burned it & then barn and all the out-houses to the ground. I tell you looked pretty hard to see a family burned out of house & home but that appears to be the only way to dry up their bushwhacking. And perhaps they will find out after a while that Uncle Sam is determined to put down their rebellion regardless of the cost, and they will be able to see more clearly what it is going to cost them to experiment with their Southern Confederacy and I think that where the torch can be used to good advantage towards putting down the rebellion, that it is perfectly right to use it. And there is nothing that will make them sick of war sooner than to take it right to their homes and give them to understand that the government is to be respected about everything else and that if it is necessary (in order to subdue them) to wrap the whole country in flames, that it will be done! The rebs burned five or six houses in Dalton and destroyed a considerable amount of commissary stores, and they made sad havoc with the Sutlers (but that is a small loss for they are nearly as great an enemy of the soldiers as the rebs themselves. There was nearly a dozen shebangs in town and only one escaped with his goods so I reckon the Johnies got enough to have a regular spree over and I guess the were about all tight for I never saw a place tore up so in my life, and yet they didn’t destroy but very little government property. There was several large ware=houses that they might have burned but instead of doing that they went around burning private houses. When we drove them from Dalton they went north and they are yet somewhere in the vicinity of Cleveland and we expected yesterday that we would have to out after them again, but they called on us for a detail for picket this morning so I guess we will not be apt to go out again. The niggers that were with us done pretty good fighting considering the source, but they didn’t come up to the work like white folks for when we made the charge they hung back till we past clear on by them and when we stopped we were ahead of their skirmishers but still I believe that when they become a little used to the biz, they will do good fighting, and believe Old Abe did a wise & righteous act when he decided to arm them & put them in the field. Your welcome letter of the 9th came to hand several days ago and I should have answered it sooner only I hadn’t time. I had previously received the letter containing the fiddle strings. They were the kind that I wanted & I am obliged to you for sending them but I don’t want any more now for I got a lot from Cincinnati, before I got the ones you sent me. I got a letter from John yesterday. He was at home when he wrote. He had just got back from Lafayette & Boone. He has taken a contract of getting out 100,000 staves near Lebanon & he said the reason why he hadn’t been to see you was because he thought he had better hunt up his hands to get out the staves and then visit you afterwards. Don’t you wish we could be there to help him out with it? I also got a letter from home a few days ago. They were all well. Father was working at the mill and Lydia was working for a family by the name of Kelly at Delaware. Roe! Do you remember two years ago today? One year from today we will be done soldiering and the Lord only knows how many of us will be done before that time! Well, I believe I have written enough for this time & I fancy I hear you saying I honor his judgment! So I will close and write a letter home. We are all well & hearty and hope this may find you the same. Please write soon & often and remember your true but erring brother Isaac Mark Abbot |
Isaac Mark Abbott letter to Family, 08-20-1864
Chattanooga
August 20th /64
Dear Folks at Home, By an all-wise providence I am again permitted this pleasant afternoon to write you a few lines to let you know that I am yet in the land of the living, and in good health. We have been in quite a sharp little fight since I wrote you last and it was on account of that that I have not answered your kind letter of the 10th sooner for about the time that I had got ready to wrote we received marching orders. But I will give you the account of our expedition in detail & then you will understand what I am talking about. Last Sunday afternoon we got the news that the rebs under Wheeler were at Dalton trying to capture the place and all the available force at this post was ordered to go out & clean them out! So about dark we got aboard of the cars, and at 11 P.M. we arrived at Tunnel Hill. It was not considered safe to advance any farther on the cars for it is only 7 miles from there to Dalton so we got off & proceeded the balance of the way on foot. We on up the R.R. about 3 miles & then halted for a rest. About a minute after we halted we heard cannonading at Dalton. They kept it up pretty briskly for about tne or fifteen minutes when it ceased and all was still again. It was a bright moonlight night and Old Buzzard-Roost Valley was as silent as the grave and I tell you now, it was anything but a cheerful looking place to us that night! Our reg’t went forward about daylight & took possession of a fort & line of works about three miles from the City where the rebel skirmish line was that night at dark, but they had left it before we reached it! About 7 A.M. the other reg’ts moved up & we formed our line of battle and in a few minutes we were closing in on the city. We had a strong line in advance, and they were soon popping away quite lively and when we got within 1 ½ miles of town the Johnies made a stand. They took up a position in an old deserted camp on a hill and as they could get behind the shanties for protection they had a little advantage of us. But as soon as we came under their fire the order was given to charge and when we went for them with the hoosier yell, they appeared to forget all about the advantages of their position, for they left it in double-quick time and in less time than it takes to tell it we had them on a general skedaddle. But they made another stand as soon as they got a little out of range but we drove them back right straight along and at 10 A.M. we entered the town. It was garrisoned by the 2nd Missouri 300 strong & about 150 convalescents. They were not strong enough to hold the town but they got into a fort on one side of the town and there they held out though surrounded on all sides. I tell you they were glad to see us for they were in a pretty tight place and without any water! They estimated the rebel force at 4,000. We had about 2,000 all told. It commenced raining about that time we got into town & in 20 minutes we were as wet as drowned rats. The rebs had burned several houses and destroyed a dozen Sutler-Shebangs most beautifully but we wasn’t caring much for the soldiers don’t think much more of the Sutlers generally. Then they do of their grandmothers! We came back here on the 18th. We found the R.R. torn up in several places on our way back but it was soon repaired and trains went on to the front again that evening. We sent our money home today. I sent 25 dollars. You can get it by calling at John Moore’s. Well, I am at the bottom of the page & must close. We are all well and hope this may find you all the same. Write soon & often & give me all the news. If I live I will be a citizen of Ripley one year from today. Good bye. Your brother & son, |
"Just before the battle, Mother, I am thinking most of you.
While upon the field we're watching, with the enemy in view. Comrades brave are 'round me lying, filled with thoughts of home and God; For well they know that on the morrow, some will sleep beneath the sod. Farewell, Mother, you may never press me to your breast again; But, oh, you'll not forget me, Mother, if I'm numbered with the slain. Hark! I hear the bugles sounding, 'tis the signal for the fight, Now, may God protect us, Mother, as He ever does the right. Hear "The Battle Cry of Freedom," how it swells upon the air, Oh, yes, we'll rally 'round the standard, or we'll nobly perish there." - Union Battle Hymn |