19 January 1862, Kentucky, War Between the
States
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Letter from Capt. John W. Free, Co. A, 31st Ohio Infantry
Camp near Somerset, Ky. Col. N. B. Colborn: [Much of the first of this letter repeats the details found in the letter of Chaplain Drake , with a slightly different version of the killing of Gen. Zollicoffer, stating that Zollicoffer killed Col. Fry's horse] ... fired his pistol, the ball striking the Col.'s horse directly above the eye as he jerked up his head, saving the life of the Col. and killing his noble steed … About 12 o'clock Sunday we again got orders for the 31st to cook two days rations, and report to General Thomas, now about 12 miles, as General Thomas was moving on toward rebel fortifications. The boys barely took time to cook rations, but filled their haversacks with dry crackers &c, and about 2 o'clock were on their way to the battle field. The booming cannon could still be heard, as our forces were following - but still sounding in farther distance as though still proceeding. It was still raining but on they went, through the mud as cheerful as if going to a ball. About sun-down they arrived at Fishing creek, that in the morning could be forded with wagons but now its muddy & turbulent waters were foaming angrily along, as a barrier between us and our brethren on the other side but cross they must go … The boys would untie cartridge boxes and with left hand would hold the gun and cartridge [box] out of water; and with the other hand lay hold of the rope & push into cold water taking them to the neck in many instances. Often there would be so many to the rope that a perfect dam would be formed--thus three regiments crossed Fishing Creek. A great deal has been written and said about Washington crossing the Delaware in December; but I think the crossing of Fishing Creek by Shoepf's Brigade in cold January, and wading it at the same time, far excels it. Really men are more than men to stand this. After crossing, to walk three miles father, then stop Bivouac in open fields with few fires allowed, being in an enemy's country--really such men deserve praise for enduring all this. The small pittance received per month is no enticement for them to do all this … On the next morning these regiments left Bivouac camp about 2 o'clock at night, passing through the battle field, frequently stepping on the dead and wounded in the dark, who laid indiscriminately scattered over the bloody field … Daylight came. A few guns were fired from the fortifications of the rebels, to appear as bold as possible, and cover as we afterwards learned, their retreat. A few guns were fired by our artillery Soon arrangements were made to storm it at the point of a bayonet. The different regiments were placed in line on different sides, and the word was given to move up. All, with the determination of old soldiers, walked right up, scaled the entrenchments, and found that the rebels had all left during the night, leaving everything they had except three pieces of cannon they managed to take with them. We got all their horses, some 14,000; 400 wagons, and 17 pieces of cannon … [He then repeats the Gen. Zollicoffer story] I will now return to the battle field after saying that the rebels were well fixed at Mills Springs. They had built log cabins, chinked them and made them quite comfortable to stay all winter, but lo and behold! how soon in this world are all our bright anticipations blasted, and wormwood and gall the portion of the unfaithful. The rebels had three days rations cooked. Their object was to whip Thomas for a breakfast job, then come to Somerset, clean us out & push on to Lexington, Ky. So say the prisoners. But I must return to the battlefield where I found my regiment on Monday about noon … I have often read of the bloody fields of revolutionary memory, of the war of 1812, of Mexico's bloody fields. Yet I had never saw but one or two men dead at a time. But here I counted 156 dead. Most of them shot in the head and breast. From their appearance they fought well. Nine out of ten lay with their back to the ground … They were commencing to bury them that day, putting from 15 to 20 in one hole. At one place some 40 rebel prisoners were engaged burying their dead, guarded by our soldiers; this looked rather trying, to see them pack their comrades from an adjoining field, putting so many in one grave, and only from two to three feet deep, as they came in contact with lime stone and springs that prevented them from going deeper. The dead rebels' pockets were all turned inside out before buried. But from their appearance I should not think any valuables were about them … As the boys of the 1st Michigan Engineers were burying the dead, one of them found a $5.00 bill in his vest pocket--Says he to him: my fine fellow I will burry you a little nicer … I visited the tent where Zollicoffer's dead body lay The soldiers divided his garments among them as trophies, and even plucked his hair from his head, until orders were imperatively given not to do so any more. But his pants and the fine buckskin shirt, is no doubt scatered [sic] all over the different States of the North as some 4 or 5 states were here represented. I also saw the body of Bailey Peyton, Jr. Lieut. Col. of a Tennessee regiment. I visited the tents of the wounded rebel. Our wounded were doing fine, and our dead were decently buried, one in a grave, and a head board to mark his resting place. The wounded are all here now in the churches. Some of the 9th Ohio carried their wounded comrades nine miles to avoid jolting them over the rough roads … We expect to leave tomorrow morning to cross the Cumberland … On the night of the 24th I lost another of my boys He had an attack of typhoid fever, then the heart disease set in, and ere I was aware of it he was a corpse. We consulted the Col. what we had best do with his body. We concluded to send it home, and in 20 minutes, by the liberality of the boys in my command, we made up $51.50 to send his body to his friends. It left to-day at 9 o'clock, accompanied by Peter H. Shaffer, a discharged soldier of my company. He will arrive about Thursday. Any assistance you can render in having his body decently conveyed to his friends he will remunerate you for it, as he has the means to bear all expenses. No renumeration [sic] is expected of the widow, but done by my boys as respect to their deceased comrade, for the boys all loved him, none knew him but to like him. It seems his lot was to die away from friends in a strange land. [The dead soldier was Asa Miner.] It is the intention not to let any of our boys be burned in Kentucky soil, but return their bodies home, and have made a covenant to assist each other to send their comrades home, who ever the unfortunate one may be to die. Yours, J. W. Free Capt. Com. A, 31st Reg., O.V.M.
This letter was published in the Perry County Weekly of New Lexington, Ohio, 5 February 1862. I am indebted to Jo An Sheely of Olympia, WA, for her transcribed copies of these newspaper letters.
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