DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

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Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

02_1862-12-16 Page 02

The chances for sending letters are very slim. we had a chance of sending letters this morning but I didnt know it in time to write so I concluded to write any how and be ready for the next chance. We have not had aletter nor apaper in the Regt since we left Memphis. we left some of our boys at Mamphis because they were not able to march. we left John Hiteman there he was not very sick. but he was hardly able for a march. I would like to hear from them there to see how they are getting along, and I would like to hear from the Eastern Army to see how Burnside is getting along.   
And I like to hear how you are getting along at home. I doubt whether you have as pretty weather there as we have down here we have had as pretty weather since we left Memphis as I ever saw with the exception of arainy day occasionaly. we have some frost most mornings and once in awhile it freezes tolerably hard, but there is agood many nights that its not cold enough to frost & the days are warm enough to start vegetation in Iowa. 
it seems to me vegetation is more tender here than it is in Iowa for as pleasant as it is nearly everything looks as dead and dreary as it would anywhere in the north. If this weather continues I cant see what's to hinder us from bringing the war to aclose. I believe we have men enough to go anywhere if our generals only has the will. We expected alittle to have abrush on the Tallehatchie river but we were disapointed. Grants army got abrush at them and took two or three hundred prisoners before they could get out of the way. but we only got within hearing of him.   
We crossed the Tallahatchie about 20 miles below Holly Springs. the rebels had fortified some. where we crossed but I guess their heaviest fortifications were afew miles above. where Grant Crossed. if they wasnt they didnt amount to much. Tallehatchie river is about two or three times as large as Cedar and the river we are on now is alittle larger than Cedar. nearly every stream in this Country is Called a river. The most of the Country between here and memphis is hilly and heavy timbered, yellow soils, and appears to be thinly inhabited.

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The chances for sending letters are very slim. we had a chance of sending letters this morning but I didnt know it in time to write so I concluded to write any how and be ready for the next chance. We have not had aletter nor apaper in the Regt since we left Memphis. we left some of our boys at Mamphis because they were not able to march. we left John Hiteman there he was not very sick. but he was hardly able for a march. I would like to hear from them there to see how they are getting along, and I would like to hear from the Eastern Army to see how Burnside is getting along. And I like to hear how you are getting along at home. I doubt whether you have as pretty weather there as we have down here we have had as pretty weather since we left Memphis as I ever saw with the exception of arainy day occasionaly. we have some frost most mornings and once in awhile it freezes tolerably hard, but there is agood many nights that its not cold enough to frost & the days are warm enough to start vegetation in Iowa. it seems to me vegetation is more tender here than it is in Iowa for as pleasant as it is nearly everything looks as dead and dreary as it would anywhere in the north. If this weather continues I cant see what's to hinder us from bringing the war to aclose. I believe we have men enough to go anywhere if our generals only has the will. We expected alittle to have abrush on the Tallehatchie river but we were disapointed. Grants army got abrush at them and took two or three hundred prisoners before they could get out of the way. but we only got within hearing of him. We crossed the Tallahatchie about 20 miles below Holly Springs. the rebels had fortified some. where we crossed but I guess their heaviest fortifications were afew miles above. where Grant Crossed. if they wasnt they didnt amount to much. Tallehatchie river is about two or three times as large as Cedar and the river we are on now is alittle larger than Cedar. nearly every stream in this Country is Called a river. The most of the Country between here and memphis is hilly and heavy timbered, yellow soils, and appears to be thinly inhabited.