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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Gordon Granger
Franklin Tenn
April the 15th 1863
Dear friends
as I am not verry busy to day I thought I would
send you a few more lines to inform you how we ar
getting along at this time we ar well at present and
enjoying our selves as well as can be in an army I
had got no letters from home since the 4
th of this month
things ar going on here now as usual but you have no
doubt seen the account of the attack the rebs made
on this place the 10 of this month I will now give you some
further of it it was the boldest job fever knew them do
it was well known here that they wer going to attack us for
several days back and we wer all ready for them they kept
driving in our pickets for 4 or 5 days and easy thing its
went to Show they wer going to try us on and that before
long Major Gen Granger accordingly sent out easy
day regiments of infantry to support the pickets on all
the roads and the cavalry had to saddle up evrry morning
at 5 oclock and be ready for action but they did not
make it at day light as it was expected they would
we wer just through eating dinner when we herd fireing
in the distance and it kept comeing nearer whitch plainly
told they wer driving in the pickets and in a hurry to
the lazy role was beat and the bugles sounded the
well known call saddle up and such a lively time
in Seldome seen in camp we all got ready in a very
short time soon heavy volleys of muskets we herd
along our whole lines and the yells of the rebels wer distin
ctly herd evrytime they made a charge soon the fireing
became incescent and every thing went to show that the
the engagement was fast becoming general by this time
our artillery got in position two batterys of field
pieces at two 4 pounders in the fort wer now makeing
the ground tremble with there reports we wer not sent
any were but wer held in reserve so we wer idle spect
ators of the sene the rebels dashed even in to the
strets of the twon and some of them even came to
the pantoon bridge and we shot by the guards on
the bridge the 28
th Missippi Cavalry called the
Dixie rangers made a charge on the 40
th Ohio Infantry
in an open field they formed in two hollow squares
to receive them and completed broke there line and
killed and wonded a good many of them takeing there
commander prisoner the Made # two attacks are in
front and the other in the left the figing lasted about
4 hours the fighting was verry severe while lasted the
shells from the two sedge guns in the fort soon
stoped there batterys some of them wer sene to go
more than 10 feet in the air when the burst among
then our las is but trifleing I do not think we had 20
killed that of the rebs I cannot tell but I think it is
three times ours they wer all drunk whitch accounts
for the boldness of the move corn bread and whiskey
seams to be there living all the prioners we took had
noting but corn meal and evry one of them a canteen
of Whiskey and no salt atall so you can judge
how they live there was a rebel Major taken he
said that it was reported in the rebel camp and
believed that we had all left here but a little
cavalry to hold the place for a fiew days to
let the rest get away before they knew it so they
thought it was there time to do something but they
found us ready for them evry thing was
all quiet in the evening agane as ever the wether
here is verry fine it is quite cool to day being
we had some rain yesterday and last night
we have got no pay yet owing to the apperryce
of a battle the paymaster did not come but I think
we will get it this week or next if the rebels will
keep still a fiew days you said something about
Old Duffin the rail road contractor in your last
letter I do not know any thing about it attall
this paper is verry poor so I will stop this
time ples write and let me know how the
sheep gets along and all the rest you can think
of tell Martha and Lib not to think I have forgot
them Beraus I do not write to them and I think
Aunt aught to write once and a while
from John Wasson
