Thomas Wright a young teenager starts his Diary in July 1858 America. Northern Kentucky, Mason county near the Town of Dover and Lees Creak. across the Ohio River the town of Ripley Ohio. Hot bed of Abolitionist movement. between befriending a slave...
I will try an put tagether the past few days best I can. I will leave that quick note I left for Betsy in the dairy. With the spot marked, ifin it is needed again. How ta start this grand few days. I will start with the Battle.
31, December 1862
I woke ta musket an cannon fire just at daylight. Thinkin we was attackin. We Pioneers were tryin ta see what was goin on. We heard it wasn't us attackin, no it was Johnny Reb! Doin the attackin!
We moved ta the Front with support from the Chicago Board of Trade Battery. I must say they was a great bunch of fellas. Knew they business about canon fire. General Morton that is the Brigade Commander led us ta the front.
As we moved forward, the Battle was progressin smoke an shouts could be seen an heard! The Cedar trees looked a fire they was so much smoke. I was a might scared an nervous, why couldn't make spit, mouth was dry hands why they was tremblin. My musket rocked across my shoulder from my right hand tremblin so, I gripped my cartridge box with my left. So as ta not show all I was afeared of battle.
Leonard kinda winked at me, forced a smile. He say Thommy ya just stay close, load an fire that musket. Should be just fine. I noticed lot a fellas runnin an not fighting! The fear was buildin even higher! Thought I was goin ta lose my coffee, my stomach was rollin.
We took up hasty positions, cannon fire rattled us canister goin off around us. Those damn Rebs charged us! Dear me, I thought as I heard the hum and crack of the minnie ball shoot by me! Grey and brown came hard, with such a yell! It still rings in my head! Volley after volley of musket an cannon fire! Took those Grey an brown, after the ground was covered in grey an brown. They shirts fluttered in the breeze.
We regained some that was lost, we advanced maybe a quarter mile. Again they charged! The smoke looked like fog, I remember loadin an firin! Rebs fallin our boys fallin! Screams of pain! The dreadful noises of musket, and cannon, those screams of the dyin! Sweat covered in the cool of January.
Still they came! Wave after wave of Brown an Grey!
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The Pioneer Brigade and Chicago Board of Trade Artillery near the Nashville Pike Stones River to the rear. Upper left of the Union.
General Morton say we had ta hold one hour, let's just say we gave them more than one hour.
They charged, again late afternoon, those Rebs just will not quit! It slowed some we took time ta build some breastworks.(Breastworks defensive positions either dug or things stacked for protection from fire.) Just before night, they came again. This one had us worried very little cartridges left. We were told to fix Bayonets! Ta fire an Charge! We stood an fired! So many fell! I ran straight at thum! Stepping on dead, leaping over thum if I could. I think I yelled, from fear not certain, just know if I did we did. It was no where near that Rebel Yell.
We chased thum back till out of breath. Returned to our last position. It rained some overnight, we got more cartridges. Managed ta make coffee from a puddle of water. Least ways it help take the chill off. Life of a soldier I reckon.
Next day they was fightin ta our left not much near us at first. Did have a problem with a Sharpshooter. Killed poor fella in that Battery. Well not wantin our support ta think we didn't care, an not wantin ta die from that Sharpshooter.
Me an Leonard, Pete came along went ta get that Reb! We crawled out found him, Pete dispatched him with ease. Must say, Pete pulled off a good shot had ta be hundred yards. They attacked again later, those Artillery boys hammered those Rebs hard canister an shot, whens they got close. My musket was hot it smoked in the cool air. The fear of runnin left dyin well, it still hangs around.
About ten o'clock Thursday we were relieved, we gots our first hot meal since arriving, rested some. We were called back ta the front on Friday.
Rebs were firin brass ball and pieces of railroad iron at us from they cannon. In the distance I heard what must of been near all our cannon fire at once! It bounced around the valley like thunder!
We found ourselves on a slight ridge, watching over those Artillery boys. We ate with the scattered dead on that ridge. The one's that owned it before us. They attacked a few more times, we held thum off best we could. Early Saturday they started again. By midday little after it ended, they retreated as fast as they attacked.
I feel a sickness in my heart, so Damn Many died. Thins are burned in my eyes no man should see. They is places, the ground is stained red. The bodies cover the fields they lay about the cedar forest. Some places I swear ya could not walk on the ground they is so many dead. Heard most on the first day, was killed while sleepin or just wakin from sleep.
Some dead look like they a sleepin, others look terrified, in such pain eyes wide open grimace on they faces. Those I know I had ta shoot an killed, some so close they faces will be ferever stuck in my eyes. I still hear the moans of the wounded and dyin. They is no Glory! None that I can see! I will never tell Ma or Betsy of these thins. The stars an moon, have no wonder anymore. The want of countin thum is gone. Only good come of this is knowing uncle Thom ain't here amongst the dead, or I was shootin at him.
The 26, ta 31 December.
We marched late inta the night, stopping ta sleep in a cotton field. That was a trampled muddied mess. Raining ta beat hell. We had no doghouse ta sleep under. I woke layin in a puddle of brown sticky water. We held that mornin while the forward elements staved off a Rebel attack.
It rained all day, we could hear the musket an cannon fire to our front. Finally, movin forward we did get ta pitch doghouses fer the night. What time we had ta rest. We built a bridge ta cross Stewarts Creek, near a town called Lavergne, finished it at three in the mornin. Those Board Trade fellas in support. We are supposed ta give the Ford at Stones River a goin over. Once we figure out where those Rebs be. Entered Camp of Main Army on the 30th December 1862. Placed in reserve. It has rained done nothin but that from Nashville on.
Most of this information I found in a letter written by Edward F. Wood to his brother, a member of the Chicago Board of Trade Battery. They were called that because they funded the Battery in weapons and uniforms.
If you look at the casualties on both sides, it would look like a Confederate victory. They retreated so it was a Union victory.
Strength at the start 43,400 Union Casualties. 12,906 total 7,543 wounded 3,686 captured or missing 1,677 dead
Strength at the start 35,000 Confederate Casualties 11,739 total 7,945 wounded 2,500 missing or captured 1,294 dead.
I tried to give a good perspective, of what Thomas endured those days. Not being over graphic I hope it explained what happened and how Thomas felt. Thanks for your support.
