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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: James R. Chalmers
Camp near Lagrange
Bonesteel is well Write when you are going home
June 25th 63
Dear Wife Jane
I have just seated myself to write you a
few lines knowing that you by this time would
like to hear from me when last I wrote to you
we were about to go out on a scout & now we
have just returned from one that may be inter
esting to you But before I proceed let me say
we are all well but Edwin & he looks rather bad
he has been sick for nearly a week but is now
getting better now I will proceed to buisiness
in the first place on the 16
th day of this month
we left Lagrange for the south west with two Regt
of Cav & marched until 2 oclock in the after noon
When we halted & prepared our dinner & refreshed
our horses at about half past 3 Boots & Saddles
blowed & all prepared to move & in a short time all
all was ready to move & all went off well but John
Bonesteels horse While crossing a little creek fell
& ducked John completely just at dark we
bivouacked for the night & just as we were post
ing our pickets a band of gurilles fired into our
men wounding two of 2
nd Iowa one mortally
nothing more happened that night next morning
we were at day break to move (We being about eight
miles south west of Holley Springs) about 12 oclo
arived at the Tallehatchee River at a place called
Ymont here we started the Rebs pickets but none
was wounded or killed the next thing was to
cross the river it being so deep that our horses
had to swim we had to unsaddle & make a foot
path across to carry our tonage over it was
a sight to see our men & horses in the water
most of our men crossed over that night
& our Regt moved out about 4 miles after
dark & camped for the night this day we were
joined by two other brigades & two batteries one from
Germantown & the other was with us belonging to the 2 Iowa
Thursday June 18 the prospect of fun ahead today
start for Penola Our Regt takes the advance today
& Co C has to take the place of Co A for a part of
our Regt & 2 Iowa under the command of Maj
Hudson to cut off the retreat of the Rebs from
Penola but he was most to late when he got there
for the train had just passed but he distroyed
the tressel work & distroied immense piles of corn
& cotton but let me return to our Co about 4 oclock at
night we came to their pickets here let me say it was
fun to see the rebs run & it was more fun for us we
charged on them there being about 30+ of them they had
just fed their horses & all of their bridles were off
we took 4 of them & 3 horses I took one out in the
woods he was under a bush where a grape vine covered
it & I saw him & said I come out of that if you dont
want a bullet hole in your hide
says he dont shoot me for I will give up & I am wounded
to a bullet had just hit his finger enough to make
it numb none of us got hert but go he had another brush
with them & killed some of their horses & wounded
some of their men how many I cant tell tonight we move
back 2 miles & camp for the night. Friday morning we move
for Penola it being 5 miles distant & find no Rebs there they
had got up & made a wake for their holes here they left
a good deal of ammunitions nothing of importance
took place today here we recrossed the river & made a wake
for Sanitobia burning everything we came to I cant give you
a full detail for I hant room just as we passed through Sanitobia
we came on chalmers forces & they fired into our advance
Co A being the advance & wounded two Mart Garver two balls
in the back & one in the thy the other man was shot in
in the arm both will get well but they made the Rebs fly killed
1 & wounded 2 more followed them to the Coldwater Creek & here
they crossed & when our boys came up they shot 1 man in Co I in
the head & then run Jane I will tell you more next time none
of our boys got hert while out I have not got a letter from you
in 2 weeks but I dont grumble Give my respects to all & kiss Trudy for me
M H Hogmire
