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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp at Corinth
Oct 8th 63
Dear Wife
It is with pleasure that I improve the
little time I have in writing to you
night before last we came in from
a scout of 5 days & two days
Before that our Regt was out
on another scout of the same time
& last night we were ordered out
again & I having the ague did
not go. On our last scout we had
some very warm times with
the rebs we left here on the 3rd
with 5 days rations the first night
camped 20 miles from here near
Barnums at daylight on the
fourth finds us on the road
for Ripley 20 miles distant at
noon we left Ripley to our right
at night we came on their pickets
& halted & camped for the night
here we found that at New Albany
but a few miles distant we
a large force no lights were
allowed during the night & at day
light we were out on the road for
their rendervous had not gone
for when a woman came out of
a house & told the Col that the 3rd Miss
issippi Cav were laying in ambush
but a short distance ahead we coun
termarched & went in to town on
a by road & it took the rebs all by
surprise they did not skirmish
but a few moments & then left the
town & fell back to some high hills
south of the town here they made
a stand & we skirmished with
them for nearly 2 hours first
we would advance on them to try
& draw them out of their cover but
no they had a trap set for us &
mashed bateries to we opened on
them with our howitsers twenty
times or more & they kept silen until
they found out that we were falling
back & then I tell you that we found
we had something to cope with as
their num was ten times as
large as ours all we had was
310 officers & all & we know
they had 8 Regts We fell back
4 miles & stoped to feed & they rushed
up on us drove our pickets in but
were soon drove back & as our
men were moving out of a lane a
stray ball struck a man in Co
E passing through his heart this
was all of the casualties we
had on our side lost no men as
prisoners but took 13 & some not
ed guriles too & killed 2 of the enimy
they tried to cut off our retreat
but they were not suckcessful
it was Richardsons band & John
sons together it is the opinion that
they are trying to cut off our comm
unications to Memphis the report
is now that they are having some
fighting down near Grand Jucntion
& I think our boys will have something
to do this time out I was very sorry
that I was sick & could not got now
Jane I want to tell you not to worry
about me as I am all right only the
ague & I think will be over that in
a few days Mr Louis came last
night Willie Louis beter now all of
the new recruits stand it very well
Milan in particular
Perry Harvey said he kissed you
Now I aint going to stand that
I will write again tomorrow
now I dont want you to site me
to John Bonesteel as writing home
so often he cooks & aint out on scout
as I am I will write as often as I can
& I dont want you to find fault
M. H. Hogmire My respects to all
