19 January 1862, Kentucky, War Between the
States
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Letter of Pvt. George W. Hart, Co. I, 2nd Minnesota Infantry
No. 19 You will have to pay the postage on this for I am out of money & stamps George
Camp Cumberland Jan 29, 1862 Dear Friends at home A rainy day & feeling I could do little better, as we have nothing to read induces me to keep on writing, tho I assure you the melancholy reflection that you will not see it in 15 or 20 days is rather cooling to my sanquine feelings. Our camp is in a very pleasant place. It overlooks the banks of the Cumberland river which at this place are almost as high as the bluffs at Red Wing. The face of the country is very undulating, in places very hilly, & the creeks & rivers are sunk between rocky bluffs like the Zombro below Montevideo. We are in the garden of Ky, the famous blue grass region, but in point of soil is as far below Min. as can be. The climate is charming, rains every other day & mud (blue clay) 6 inches deep on the level except where it is so rocky that there is no soil. Whole fields are fenced with the quartz rocks picked up on the surface & when that is done a Minnesotian in plowing would use many words not found in the creed. The foundation is limestone rock & one familiar feature is the numerous caves, which abound in all directions. Just back of our camp is a large sinkhole perhaps 40 rods across. In the centre is a hole down which all water rushes out of sight. On the side next our tents grows an immense sycamore under the vary roots of which, is the mouth of a very large cave from which we get our water. You would walk down some steps worn by constant use in the mud & rock. Then some 50 or 60 feet down a very steep inclination you hear the ripple of falling water, & groping round by the faint light struggling thru the mouth of the cavern, you find a beautiful trough worn out of the solid rock & built up in front by the deposit of stone by the overflowing water, about as high as the breast so you can dip a pail full of water clear as crystal. Then the passage is uphill for a while. The bottom is very uneven & numerous stalactites hanging from the roof, in many places 25 feet high. Water drips thru the seams in many places & is heard running below the feet. Frightful chasms open before you & then you must crawl upon hands & knees thru the mud holding your candle in one hand & keeping a holt of points of rock & stalactites of which I secured a few very beautiful specimens. But I don’t believe in going so far underground to see a large hole & have been in it but once. Creeks run out from the side hill & after a short distance again disappear in the side hill to come out somewhere else in the same manner. A creek of this kind disappears in the side hill about 40 rods from camp to come out again on the bank of the river & is used to run a mill. An overshot wheel 30 feet over does the work. I saw today the first sensible man with whom I have conversed since I came to Ky & he was born in New Hampshire & had lived here but 6 years. He is a true union man of course. He says he heard our guns on Sunday the 19th and mounted his horse to see the fun but Fishing creek was so high he could not cross & he waited upon the high cliff to see if he could hear any news. While waiting he saw some 3 or 400 flying rebels come down the bluff on the other side and disappear down the creek (They passed us thru the night by crawling among the alders along the bank) He says they were swearing dreadfully, said yankees could fire a musket 50 times without putting on a cap & that there were aleast 40,000 of us & had the black flag up. They saw the regimental flag a deep blue with the Min coat of arms on one side & an eagle on the other. They appeared very much frightened. We asked why there were no apples in the country. All lazyness said he, no better fruit country in the world, but the people have no energy. He owns a steam mill which he has rendered to the department only to be kept and returned in good repair. The Michigan mechanics & engineers are now running it. Some surmise that we will go down the Cumberland river on coal & flat boats about 10 miles above us. Steam boats come up some 20 mile above us. We burnt one Zolly was using as a ferry, by shell I think. That was what saved the artilery horses & wagons tho they were at work all night. A prisoner says some 200 were drowned in trying to swim the river. Any quantity of clothes were found on the bank just as they were cast off, boots, pants, coats & drawers. A story is now going round like this, A prisoner says as the Min. 2nd came into action he heard the colonel gave this order – Attention – all creatures By kingdoms, right half wheel – march. They tho’t is no use to stand such an army & broke. Capt Foate is going home to Min to recruit his health & the regiment. Also Capt Markham & 8 other noncommissioned officers & privates are to go home on the same business. 3 or 4 of our men have been discharged for disability from our Co. & several more should be. Some 70 men are wanted to fill up the regiment. Our 2nd Lieut is getting well. Sunday morning Feb 2nd Camp Cumberland is still our abode, tho as far as we know, we may be ordered on tomorrow. Scheopf’s brigade is now crossing the river. We shall probably be the last to march as we were the lead in the past expedition. I rec’d the Sentinel of the 16th & you may believe it was a treat for all of us, tho I assure you if all its news area as far out of the way as that in regard to us, it knows just nothing at all. General Thomas has not been at Danville. I suppose that the press are furnished with just such news on purpose to lead the rebels astray. The St. Paul papers gave the most distorted acct’t of the fight. If you rec’d my letter written Zolly’s camp you may depend upon my story for I was on the ground, saw the whole performance & made the most diligent inquries of soldiers of almost every regiment & wrote what I knew so. The Capt has left this morning for Min. I do not hope to see him again. He has a very bad cough, some say consumption. He is respected by most of the company tho the Lieut has been our officer & is a man to liking every man to time. We heard very heavy cannonading a few days ago in the direction of Zolly’s camp. have heard they were trying to raise the drowned rebels & they raised 500 or so, many had their hands cut off. It seems they tried to hold on the boat when it crossed but were cut loose by their hard hearted comrads. I don’t believe you could scare the 2nd in that style. The greatest admiration & affection is felt for the old Colonel. Some scapegrace has been writing to the St Paul papers, trying to hurt the Col’s reputation, but he had better keep shady, as we are in good fighting humor just now. Some of our smart boys have taken the matter up & given the writer a few sly hits in a communication to the St Paul press. Am sorry to say there are a few to whom all discipline or good order is an eyesore who – turn & read backward – impute the foulest motives to the best of actions & must find fault with some one. Now I have enquired of those who know him best & that decent mend find little fault with officers generally. Now as for myself I can stand anyone for an officer & made up my mind to obey everything without a grunt & find fault only when the milk & water policy is in vogue. The good name we won at Leib junction was owing to the exertions of the Colonel. Our health also was preserved by his discretion, tho the boys grumbled. You can never have any adequate idea of Ky pies, cakes & cooked chicken, turkeys & geese generally. The pies are strictly union. You can’t tell where the upper crust leaves off & the under crust begins. A certain dampness is discernable about the centre & as for tearing the crust apart you can tear leather as well. Also chicken & other cookery, These delectable articles of diet were prohibited by the col & it gave him the name of the Old woman. He was also very particular about guards & pickets & was always awake when danger was apprehended. McCook is now sick at Summerset & Col van Cleve is in command of this part of the Brigade. It seems McCook did not like the milk & water dealing with rebels & gave his men the greatest liberty & they took it of course. He ordered our guards off by the Col went to the Gen & does as he pleases. Our Co was on guard yesterday by the guard was taken off at 8 pm & put on again at 6 this morning. More of our boys are sick now than ever before. After the battle it was found we had no bread & no salt meat so for 3 or 4 days we had flour & beef. The boys made pancakes & the beef was ½ cooked. We had no way to bake bread. About a dozen have the measles, several the fever & almost all have diarrhea. Several have just joined us from the hospitals & more will before long. We have lost but 2 by disease one more came deaf & one by disease setting in a broken leg has been discharged. 2 week ago this morning about this time we were in full pursuit of rebels in high spirits. Now we are peaceable as rainy cold weather could make us. Its decidedly dull at present. The fight is talked out, no prospect of pay for some time & so many sick does look dubious. You must keep up good courage at home. I believe the administration is doing all it can to bring the war to a close & I have hopes of being at home at least by harvest. If as much is done in the next 4 as in the last 4 months there won’t be much rebellion left. Get thru as soon as possible is the wish of the army. But I believe I have spoild enough of this sheet & must close soon. I am contented & do my regular duty, manage to enjoy myself pretty well for one so lazy as I have become. You must write oftener & send more papers. I have rec’d all your letters up to Jan 15 No 4 & you must remember this is my 19th since leaving home. I am out of money & stamps & will have to get this franked by the Col’s clerk as I did my last. Give my respects to all my friends & stick to the administration. Old Abe & McClellan will take us safe thru if the country will support them & let them do as they please. There is no service this cold weather. You must not let the boys enlist now there is no need of it; keep them at work but look out for breakers ahead. This war is trying the soul of this nation & you will see hard times & high taxes, high tariffs & high prices or I am very much mistaken & can’t read the signs of the times.
Transcribed by David L. Horton, 6902 Rockingham Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, who adds: George Washington Hart was born August 31, 1835 at Hartsville, NY. He was the oldest son of Orville C. and Mary E. Clason Hart. He enlisted in the Civil War September 30, 1861 about a month after his 26th birthday. His initial service was with Company I, Second Minnesota Infantry. The only extant letter which he wrote home shows that he was in the Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads, Somerset, KY on January 19, 1862. In March of that year he was given a disability discharge, but by August 28th had joined Captain Fletcher Hegler’s company against indians. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant September, 1862 and served 33 days in what was called the Minnesota Massacre. On February 15, 1865 he reenlisted in the Civil War effort. This time he served in the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery and was discharged on September 27, 1865 at the close of the war. On August 8, 1868, George married Ella Martha Wheeler at Cedar Mills, Minnesota. He made his leving as a farmer. His third child, Frank Wheeler Hart, born March 20, 1876 was David L. Horton’s grandfather. At one point in the letter George Hart turned the paper over and continued to write between the written lines. This occurs after the instructions to – turn & read backward -- Copy courtesy Kevin Mason.
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