DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Andrew F. Davis papers, 1862

Transcribe
Translate

09_1862-10-27-Page 01

In camp near Collumbia Ken. 
Oct. 27th 1862 
Mrs Sarah Davis 
My Dear Wife 
I have not had a letter from you Since the one you Sent by Mr Walton of date Oct 1st but nevertheless I will Still continue to write to you as often a I can get oportunities for writing or a chance of Sending.  When I last wrote to you (about 2 weeks since) we ware about 6 miles from Craborchard.  The next day after I wrote to you we ware ordered to march immediately, leaveing everything at camp with a guard.  We went on quick time about 15 miles towards Cumberland Gap and halted 3 miles this side of the Wild Cat battlefield where Bragg had made a temporary Stand and taken possession of the old entrenchments and was likely to prove too Strong for our advance division under Gen. Smith and that was the cause of our hurried march, but before we arrived he had been driven back and had obstructed the road at a place called Wild Cat Gap a narrow place between the mountains by falling trees across the road.  In 2 or 3 days our forces had cleared away the obstruction and followed on and was at a place called London 12 or 15 miles from Wild Cat.  We lay where we first halted for 3 days and nights, and ware on Short rations and many of us (myself) among the number) had neither blankets or overcoats with us & the nights being very frosty we suffered considerable with cold.
On the evening of the fourth day we ware ordered back to our camp and marched 6 miles and halted and at 2 oclock next morning ware on the go again and by sun up ware at camp where we halted long enough to get breakfast and then the whole of Woods division Started on the back track, and Kept on the same road on which we went out on until we come to Stanford where we turned to the left and went towards Lebanon for 10 miles to a Small place called Hustonville.  There we again took the left hand road leading through a Small dirty county Seat called Liberty

Saving...

In camp near Collumbia Ken. Oct. 27th 1862 Mrs Sarah Davis My Dear Wife I have not had a letter from you Since the one you Sent by Mr Walton of date Oct 1st but nevertheless I will Still continue to write to you as often a I can get oportunities for writing or a chance of Sending. When I last wrote to you (about 2 weeks since) we ware about 6 miles from Craborchard. The next day after I wrote to you we ware ordered to march immediately, leaveing everything at camp with a guard. We went on quick time about 15 miles towards Cumberland Gap and halted 3 miles this side of the Wild Cat battlefield where Bragg had made a temporary Stand and taken possession of the old entrenchments and was likely to prove too Strong for our advance division under Gen. Smith and that was the cause of our hurried march, but before we arrived he had been driven back and had obstructed the road at a place called Wild Cat Gap a narrow place between the mountains by falling trees across the road. In 2 or 3 days our forces had cleared away the obstruction and followed on and was at a place called London 12 or 15 miles from Wild Cat. We lay where we first halted for 3 days and nights, and ware on Short rations and many of us (myself) among the number) had neither blankets or overcoats with us & the nights being very frosty we suffered considerable with cold. On the evening of the fourth day we ware ordered back to our camp and marched 6 miles and halted and at 2 oclock next morning ware on the go again and by sun up ware at camp where we halted long enough to get breakfast and then the whole of Woods division Started on the back track, and Kept on the same road on which we went out on until we come to Stanford where we turned to the left and went towards Lebanon for 10 miles to a Small place called Hustonville. There we again took the left hand road leading through a Small dirty county Seat called Liberty