Hogmire, Mitchell H. – October 8, 1863

Michigan Civil War Collection


Click here for this soldier’s biography: https://micivilwar.com/authors/hogmire-mitchell-h/
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