Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/bronson-spencer/
Regiment: 7th Wisconsin Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: James Longstreet, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, William J. Hardee
Head Quarters B Co 7
th Wis Vet
April 24
th 1864
Dear Sister It is a very warm morning & were it not for a cool breeze (sent to us by
Neptune from the ocean) the weather would be almost intolerable. The past week has
been very pleasant no rain having falling to make the roads impassable & thus keep us
confined to our camp We have been improving this unusual dry season in various ways
Last Monday in company with John Bissett I went over to repay the visit made by
Henry Taylor last Sunday they lay at the foot of Poney Mountain about two miles from
our camp After considerable out of the way traveling we at last found then Had a first
rate visit Also an unusual good dinner While we was there saw a battery try the efficiency
of there guns on a target two miles distance The skill displayed by the gunners was
excelent & if every battery in the service could attain to such proficiency in the art of
“gunery” our enimies on the opposite bank of the Rapidam might for a reason quake
in there shoes.
The hot sun & high wind of the past week has dried up all the mud & roads are in good
marching orders I think our commander will not let this golden oppourtunity slip by
without making a strike. Several “forward moves” have failed for no other reason then
that Old Sol has failed to cheer us with his friendly rays We are daily expecting
marching orders & should the weather hold good think this will be our last Sunday in our
present camp Whether or where we cross the Rapidamn I know not All we know or
say about where the point of attack will be is supposition We all agree
on one subject however I.E. the coming fight is to be a hard one It is
generally believed that Longstreets Corps & Hardee Division of the
Rebel army has reinforced Gen Lee during the past week this
information has not only been derived from prisoners & contrabands
but from spies who have visited reb camp If this is to be believed (&
there is no reason for doubt) we have a larger army to meet then in any
other campaign But in our favor the soldiers as a class place more
reliance in the abilities of Grant than in any other former commander
& confidence in our officers is a favorable sign of success
I received your letter of April 17th last night am sorry to hear that mother has not yet
recovered from her sickness you work I know cannot be otherwise there laborious if
mother recovery still continues slow you had better get a hired girl & thus take a part of
the work off your shoulders
I see no reason why my letters do not reach you in due time unless it be the fault of the
mail Since the 1
st of March I have written once every week to your address In regard to
the counsel respecting the our officers I will say that all & every report detrimental to
there character is misplaced & unfounded We have preaching here every Sunday Last
Sunday we listened to a sermon preached by the chaplain of the 7
th Indiana To day our
own chaplain preaches Lieut Campbell of our company has been ordered to the
ambulance corps The short stay that he made with us he did no company duty so we do
not miss him I am now tenting with Lewis Provot & Albert Butler Louis is a good tent
mate & a patriotic soldier He scans the news papers closely & while ingaged thus his
face is a fair index of the news in the paper If everything is “lovely” a cheerful
countance is his but if on the contrary our armies has met with a reverse his brow is
clouded A few days ago after purchasing a paper & reading a few words he stompt it &
then threw it in the fire I knew something had happened unfavorable to our army in some
quarter Going in a neighboring tent & seeing a paper I read of the failure of the Red river
expidition report says that the victory resulted in our favor the 2
nd day if so we’ll have
som fun with Lewis for stomping papers on account of union victories
Yesterday we had a brigade review for the reason that Gov Lewis & Treasury Hasting
was present & wished to see all of the “Iron Brigade” under arms The review passed of
pleasurably & it is reported that our high officials from Madison were highly gratified
at our appearance Gov Lewis has not changed much in appearance since I heard him
speak at the union meeting at FR just previous to our departure for Camp Randall as a
Co He now however sports a splendid mustache & long whiskers made artificially black
a-la-Hobart Treasury S D Hasting is about 55 years of age Grey hair & withal a
smart looking man We have been having considerable fun for the past week the cause of
which I will tell you with the proviso that you keep it a secret untill you hear it spoken of
from some other source Some of the characters you have only heard of by report Sargt.
Hehn was coresponding with a lady some where in Columbia Co Asking Sargt Dyer who
it was Hub put him on the wrong track by telling him that her name was Jenny Tibbets &
that she lived at Columbus This was all spurrious as to our knowledge ther is no such
being Thereupon Sargt H wrote a letter to this spurious Jenny hinting upon matrimony
strongly & using the verb love several times if not more & to wind up solicited an answer
& signed Alexander Hughs name to the same The same day several of us got together
among them William Sickels who wrote to Rose Birdsey telling her of the whole affair &
asking her for the sake of a joke to take out this ficticious person letter open & anser the
same addressing Sargt Helm instead of Alex as the first letter was signed Miss Birdsey
letter has been received & full of pretended esteem for the first writer Sargt Helm good
naturedly allowed that he was sold & said we might consider it as his treat when the
exilement of Sutler from our army was revoked
Henry Jont has returned to the Hospital again his reinstating papers having been sent up
for completion It is clouding up perhaps the wind may blow up a rain after all
My health is excellent hope it will so continue for I fear sickness more than any other
thing that a soldier is heir to From your Brother Spencer H
