Missouri
From the 76th Regiment
U.S. Transport Champion
on the Mississippi River
Above Cairo, Sunday, Nov. 16, '62
Mr. Editor:--The 76th is once more going "Away down South in
Dixie." We Struck our tents and commenced our march from Pilot
Knob, on Wednesday morning the 12th inst. and arrived at St.
Genevieve between ten and eleven o'clock on Friday. The roads were
good and we marched through on quick time and sometimes pretty near
"double quick."
Our
camp was laid out with seeming expectation of staying,
perhaps a week or more at St. Genevieve, but before next morning's
dawn orders came to prepare to embark by 7 o'clock A.M., and by
that time we were marching up the river to the landing to the tune
of "Away down South in Dixie," no doubt appropriate to the
occasion. It was not until this morning about daylight that we were
ready to start. Our lively, energetic, and good natured Quarter-master
was busy all day yesterday and I don't know how long last
night getting the necessary supplies for the inner man and getting
wagons, horses, mules &c., in their proper places aboard the boat.
But now we are afloat and the question to be solved is, where are
we now going. The general impression seems to be that we are going
to Helena; but, where from there, that's the question.
Whether
we go with Gen. McClernand's great expedition to open
the Mississippi or cross country to Little Rock will break upon our
minds about the time we start for one or the other. The river is
still low and the bars are quite troublesome and now while I write
the Champion is fast on one and is puffing and blowing to get off.
The Champion is a splendid boat, 265 feet long and 60 wide, and is said
to have cost $60,000.
Monday
Nov. 17th 3 o,clock P.M.-- We got on the bar last
night a little before dark and have just got afloat again, after
setting out the spare and the deck hands and working with them all
night through the rain and more than half of o-day. A boat came
along about dark last night and took the boys ashore on a large
island, and they had no very pleasant time of it in the rain, many
of them being without blankets or greatcoats, but that is one of
the things not uncommon in a soldier's life of which we have all
had some experience before now. I think our Regiment has been much
benefited in health by our month's sojourn in Missouri. It is not
without some regret that we leave the state, but anywhere to close
this protracted war.
The review of our Division at Pilot Knob which I spoke of in
my last letter from there, took place on the appointed day and as
I predicted, Gen. Davidson gave our Regiment the praise of being
equal in drill and appearance to any he had seen in the East. We
are now, just before dark, passing Cape Girardeau, a small place on
the Missouri side. Direct all letters to the Regiment to Cairo, and
they will follow us. Lieut. R.W. BURT.
From: The Newark True American November 27, 1862
Ohio Historical Society Microfilm roll #39705
Copyright © 1995-2000 Larry Stevens