| | 1 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father et. al., 1864 February 21  | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | Thinking that you might like
to hear from me I concluded to write a few lines
We started last Wednesday arrived at Charles
city
on the same day. Next day we took the stage
and got to Cedar Falls. Took the cars at
Cedar
Falls next morning and arrived at
Dubuque
in the afternoon on Friday. We have been
staying here since then but expect to leave
for Davenport tomorrow. We have got
our uniforms excepting overcoat & dresscoat
our knapsack haversack blanket & canteen we
have got. the rest of our uniform our arms &
our first installment of bounty we shall re-
ceive at Davenport. We board at one of the hotels
here & report to roll call 9 & 2.
You will understand the nature of the
enclosed certificate. weare all in good
health & excellent spirits. Yesterday
Wahington's birthday was celebrated here
the home guards marched through the street
behind the fife & drum. There was target
shooting in the afternoon in the evening
there was a grand supper free for all
soldiers in the Union League Hall after
supper speaking, then dancing by the
young folks, 2 violins 1 clarinet -& one
double bass, were the instruments — the
performers were all germans but they
were verry excellent players I am
in haste & have not any more time to
write at present. I shall write again from
Davenport
to write to me | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 2 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 March 6 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I am standing by
a window here in the soldiers' home
and the boys are just singing the
Star-Spangled Banner. Long may it wave'
You may be somewhat surprised at
my delay in writing to you. me reason
was that I couldn't give you the directions
to write to
me until now. So far I
have
enjoyed the very best of health.
The boys are, I believe, all well, at
least in Co. B. The weather here
is quite warm. This southern sun
shines in at this window this morning
with the warmth of a
mid-summers sun
at the north, it looks to be at about the
same altitude. The water we have
here is not of the best quality, it is the
water of the Cumberland River and
is very nearly the color of clay.
The
Cumberland river is quite a stream,
being navigable for the largest steamboats.
The railroad bridges are
on a swing, that is the boats
come to it, it is made to separate in
the middle and one-half swings to
the side. We had the opportunity of
seeing this on the evening of our
arrival here from Louisville, Ky.
A number of us boys went to a theatre,
last night, in this place, it was
the first that I have ever seen. I
thought that I was well paid for
my quarter. The principle play
was Shakespeare's "Macbeth." I am
of course no judge of theatres but I
was well satisfied with what I saw
and heard. The instrumental music
was good 3 violins, harp, one
clarinet, one brass instrument, I
think a bugle & Double Bass.
You talk about singing and such
like, but there was a girl here last
night that I think would beat
your Mrs. Sunderland decidedly.
I expect that you have received
by this time some money that I
sent American Express Co.
($60) You may send me word that
you received
it, for if not, I have
a certificate that insures its
loss. I expect that we shall
leave here tomorrow, probably for
the front, Pulaski. We expected to
go today, but some accident or
another that happened yesterday
between here and Chattanooga pre
vented us. I am tired
of stand
ing and writing, so write to me as
soon as possible & direct to
me Co. B 7 Reg. Iowa Vol. Pulaski
Ten, care of Cap.
Reiniger. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 3 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 April 13 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I Take my pen
& paper to write to you again. I am
still in the enjoyment of good health
& hope that this may find you all the
same. We are still here but it is probable
that we shall move in some direction before
long appearances at least indicate as
much. One thing our veteran soldiers have
been called out to drill the orders are that we
shall drill 6 hours a day so as to perfect us
in the drill immediately & target shooting
one hour each day for the recruits. Another
thing they are making fortifications here
One large block house here is nearly finished
& I understand that they are going to build
another one a short distance from here across
the river. So that one hundred men
with the aid of these fortifications can
withstand as much as one thousand without
them It is the prevailing opinion that
when they are completed that we shall
leave here for more active service. There
is also great activity commenced on the
railroad that runs through here. a short
time since there was not more than one train
each day Now there is as many as six
each way to carry provisions & stores ammunition
etc. to the army south it is likely that the
spring campaign will soon be opened vigorously
very soon. It is about time to do something
or the heat of the season will be stronger
than either of the contending parties &
compel them to lay inactive till another
fall. There are some days now that
were it as warm north you would
say this will make the corn grow. We
dont know as much here about the operations
of the army as you do where you get the
regular papers at the north, but we know
more about a soldiers life I am not
disappointed I have not had to suffer
half the inconvenience yet that I expected
to or may even have to do in future
but our worst enemy or the one that I
fear most is sickness & as long as I can
avoid that why all right. There has
been a noted rebel guerilla caught not far
from here called Moore he has played
about these parts considerable robbing army
wagons plundering killing etc. since we
came here he gobbled up two of our boys
who had got outside the picket line in
search of a cow that belonged to the
regimental hospital but they gave him
the slip & got back to camp here again
There has been some deserters come to our camp
from the rebel army they give a deplo
rable account of the condition of the rebel
army say that they were pressed into it
etc. but no reliance can be put upon them
I think that the government are too easy
upon those rebels that are not in arms against
them. I don't believe that there is one good
rebel or union citizen in Giles Co Ten but they
are allowed to come within the lines with
with passes which the got from the regimental officers
signed by the Colonel we have quiet a
chance
to find out their principal when we go on
picket truly many of them have lost their
last cow & pig & would just as soon shoot a
picket as not but they ought to swing too
it makes some of the boys curse & swear to
see them round with their butternut-colored
clothes & brass buttons as near rebel uniform
as they dare come & durst not pull a trigger
on them. I have had but one letter
from you & I dont know why I dont
get more I want to hear at least
once a week or oftener & another thing
I want some postage stamps I
have to borrow & it will soon run out
on that score. I must say that H. J. Smith is promoted
to first Lieutenant -I
conclude Direct the same
as before | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 4 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 April 14 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I received your
letter last night which is the second
one that I have had from you since
I left. If I had one each day
I should not get tired of opening
them & reading them if they are
from Iowa they are very welcome
visitors but like angels visits few &
far between I wrote a letter to you
yesterday but after I received this
I thought that I must write
again I have wrote quiet a number
to different persons in the country but
have received no answers We get
mail here every day It is then taken
to headquarters & each company's
mail given to that company's orderly
& then distributed by him. You
Perhaps remember Stewart the man
that went with Vanness when he
thrashed our grain some years ago
he stays in our shanty & is very sick
it is probably the measles that is
coming upon him if that proves to be
the case he will of course removed to
the hospital until he recovers James
Campbell & Uriah A Wilson have
both had them but they have got
about well again I received the
postage stamps that you sent me
but they were so stuck together that
I had to steam them to get them
separated they should be doubled face
to face to prevent them sticking.
You said something about Leonard
Parker having sold out did he ever
say anything to you about some money
that he owed to me for rail making
I made him 1880 rails & he only paid
me for 1500 when he counted them
There was a deep snow & he did not
find them all & he promised if he
found the rest he would hand the
balance of the money to you I know
that the rails are there & he should have
paid to you 3 dollars & 80 cents perhaps
he has but the next time you write
let me know I have got with a
good mess of boys 8 of us they are not a
swearing blackguarding set at all with
Stewart excepted They are quiet thereverse
more inclined to study & improve
their mental faculties we have had
several debating schools in our shanty
since we came here. & we study
grammar some & arithmetic one of our
mess sent to Fowler & Wells & got a
couple of Phonographic Books & we
are just beginning to see a dawn
of sense in that branch We have had
them only 4 or 5 days & were entirely
ignorant of it all of us so we are not
advanced in reading or writing it yet
Altogether we have received the name
of the literary squad which sounds
blackguarding shanty just below us
which is known by the name of
Gambling Saloon I have just been
down to the guard house & saw one
from the aforesaid place with his arms
tied & fastened in a standing position
& I thought that I would sooner
be studying grammar or
Frognography
by which they try to ridicule us
than to be in his place for running
the picket lines or some other
misdemeanor. I am perfectly
well & hope that this may find
you all the same | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 5 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 May 17 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I take another
opportunity of writing to you the chances
that we have of sending letters is very
limited. The mails leave here now just
when it happens I am still in the enjoyment
of good health & strength & hope that all
of you at home can say the same Perhaps
you have received the last letter I wrote
if so you will see that we were then expecting
some hard fighting. Some of it we have had
I have not seen a part of what is called
the horrors of war luckily I have not been
called upon to suffer myself but alas
how many of our brave boys have. I
still have but very narrowly escaped
almost miraculously been spared my life
I have heard the hissing of bullets the shrieking
of shells & the loud bellowing of artillery
I think that the fighting has for some time
subsided The rebels as far as we know have
retreated all except a rear guard
of them which they have left to harass
us & prevent us from rapidly pursuing
them I heard our Lieutenant say that
it was believed that their main army has
left for Richmond but it is not surely
known for 8 days there has been more or
less fighting Our regiment has been principally
here at Calhoun Ferry the heavist fighting
has been at Resaca Last Saturday our
regiment was put to support a battery
that was planted to shell the rebels out of
their fort down here & we were very much
exposed to the replies of rebel shell
five of our regiment suffered & killed & 3
wounded with a shell one of the killed had
both of his legs ripped from his body We
were ordered to lay flat down face to the
ground & while we were in that position
a whole or large piece of shell struck the
ground about four
8 feet from my head in
a direct line plowed a ditch in the
ground on the top for 6 feet Then only four
feet from us it richocheted & just
marvelously glanced over our heads all
done of course with the quickness of lightning
the only harm that it did it almost drove
the dirt into the pores of our skin
making a sharp burning sensetion if
it had not glanced it must unavoidably
have struck my head or
shoulder on sunday morning we crossed
the river on pontoon bridges & found
the rebels close on the other side our
Company was sent out skirmishing & only
one man wounded while we were out
The rest of the regiment were engaged
& lost 54 killed & wounded They drove
the rebels however & killed & wounded
full as many of them we were skirmishing
by the flank & when the battle was going
on we were nearly in rear of the rebels the brush
was so thick where we was that we could
not see far ahead & we got too far round
to the right It is a wonder that when
The rebels retreated they did not happen
to come upon us & take us all prisoners
there was nothing in the world to
prevent them If they had known where
we were only one company of us we could
have offered but very little resistance
we were so much in the rear of them
that the bullets of our men came over
the rebels & whistled around us
we came out of the wood to an opening
& the rebels had retreated Then came
the scene of the killed & wounded I
can not describe it so I will not attempt
but if it may be called satisfaction I
saw many of the rebels in their death
agonies one poor fellow begged of us to
kill him he said he would rather be dead
than laying there Though they had been
fighting against us I thought it was enough
to soften the heart of the hardest man
to see even a rebel in such a condition.
Paper is very scarce I must stop I could fill
one volume nearly I shall not be able to
write home regular but you have the
chance of writing regular to me & I wish you
to do it | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 6 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 July 31 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I take the
opportunity of writing to you again We
are here in sight of Atlanta's spires but
do not yet occupy the city it appears that
the rebs are going to stand a siege I
am well I think that all their railroad
are cut all except the Macon road is at
least & that is reported to be. So I
think that a successful campaign is
commencing on Atlanta We have got
very good breastworks & so have the
enemy. I think there will be a short
delay here until the completion of the railroad
bridge across the Chattahoochie & the arrival
of heavy ordnance which is on the way
Our Corps has changed position since I
wrote last we evacuated our works on
the left & came here on the right &
on the west side of Atlanta You asked
me whose command I was under I am
in the 1st Brigade 2nd Div 16 Arm Corps
Gen Dodge Corps Commander Div Gen
Coarse Brigade Gen Rice. The
rebels have amused themselves by trying
to shell us with their siege guns but I
have not heard of their hurting anything
much with their 84 pound shell which
is occasionally thrown over us I think
it will not be long before they get some
pills of their own bigness & more than
they want. Gov Stone was here the
other day making stump speeches to
the boys I would have liked to have
heard him but we were on the
skirmish line We heard a good deal
of cheering & thought there must
be some good news so when we were relieved
at night we found out the cause. I
have seen the call for 500000 more men
& if they can be raised it is just
what we want to knock down the
staggering Confederacy It is time
for this thing to come to an end
& now is the time
The soldiers are getting exceeding
anxious if we have not men enough
let the country do its utmost to
furnish them & and help put on the
finishing touch to the rebellion
Write soon I can write no
more at present | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 7 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 September 9 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | It is some
time since I wrote but I have not
yet received any answer to my last letter
I should have wrote before but we couldnt
send away any mail & I was waiting for
the taking of Atlanta I still continue to
have the best of health & hope that you may
be all well I have passed safely through this
campaign for I suppose it is through now
as we have been down 10 miles below Janesboro
& have come back & taken our camp hero 6
miles from Atlanta You will see from the
papers the splendid movement of Gen Sherman
by which he so completely bamboosled the
rebs out of their stronghold cut their communica
tion>
& compelled them instead of their burying the
yankee army here as they boasted as they intende
to do to evacuate the town & make the best
of their way southward The whole 16th corps
worked on the Montgomery road for one day quiet
faithful the 7th Iowa had a fine time
destroying that road out to Fairburn,
18 miles fron Atlanta. It
was the first days
work that I ever did on the railway & I liked it first rate. In the morning we went
out without knapsacks
almost on the doublequick
for 8 or 9 miles to the town where we went
to work, and then went back at night.
Next day, the
2nd, 7th Iowa was ordered
to report to Kilpatrick to go with the
cavalry
as a support We did, and started
out with them when about noon we run
into some of the Johnnys. We captured a
negro that escaped from them &
he said
there were 1600 of them. They had a rail
bar
ricade in a large
cornfield We fired a few
shots with the 10 lb. Rodmans belonging
to the
cavalry, when the 2nd Iowa which
was in advance, immediately formed &
charged with a yell up to
the barricade &
took it, the rebs flying like the wind,
the 7th about
40 rods behind as a support. The
2nd lost a number
of men but I never
knew how many. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 8 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1864 October 22 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I have not
received a letter from you since we
left East Point but
suppose it must
be from the stoppage of the mails. Last
We have got good quarters
erected, we have a good house, good
roof, logs, floor and fireplace and all
fixed for winter but it is very doubt
ful whether we shall remain here or
not. We have been running round nearly
all the time since we have been here
and out into the country
about every other day scouting round.
You will see in the papers about the
Allatoona fight we should have been
in it but for a smash-up on the railroad
between Rome and
Kingston A train of
cars that was
coming up to get our Brigade
smashed all to pieces and thrown in every
direction by the spreading of the track about
9 miles from Rome. We
arrived there
about 2 hours too late. The contest was
over, ending in a most bloody repulse
of a hole division of rebels by a force
not exceeding 2500 of our men; the Third
Brigade of our division which left Rome the
evening before us was in the battle and suffer
ed severely. It was well for the rebels that
our brigade that the accident happened,
or we would have come up in their rear
which to them would have been somewhat
unpleasant. The sight of the battleground
was shocking, worse than anything I ever saw before. It was not a great
battle but
for the number of men engaged it was
as sharp as anything the present war
has seen. The ground was literally thick
with killed and wounded in many places,
so that a man could step
from one to another.
We got there at dark. It rained awfully &
the groaning of the wounded could be heard
all around us. I went to a spring
for water
to make coffee and nearly tumbled many
times over the bodies
of men in the dark.
I took a stroll next morning as soon as
day and the
sight was horrid. But enough
of this. I would like to get letters from home
if possible. We have had no pay yet and I
am out of paper and stamps, If you could send
me a little I would like it. There is some
reason for our not getting paid but I do
not know it. Probably the
unsettled state
of things makes it dangerous for paymasters
to travel. You said you could send me
the Tribune if I wanted it. Well, I
would
like to have it first rate. All the news we
get about Grant
is from the papers, &
nearly all other news, and it would be a good
thing to while away the hours of camp life
if we are going to have any.
Many of the
boys get papers sent. Reading matter of
any kind nearly is
a comfort in the army. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 9 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1865 March 29 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I received your letters
of the 15 Jan. and 21st Feb. on our
arrival here 2 days ago. I am very
well and have been on our march
and hope that
you may all be the
same. After having been cut off
from the civilized world for nearly
2 months we have again a chance
to communicate with our
friends
at home. Another terrible blow
has been struck at the reeling
con
federacy and I suppose that
Sherman has halted only to gather
new
strength to strike another
and more destructive one than
the last. It is
understood that
Sherman has gone to Fortress
Monroe. I could not vouch
for the
truth of it. I cannot tell how
long we will remain here, but I
don't
expect to stay long. Schofield
first occupied Goldsboro. We were
fighting the rebels at the time about 28 miles northwest of the town
which
were concentrated there. It was the
only fight of any magnitude that
we had. Johnston is said to have
had about 40,000
men. The rebels
the first day of the fight rather whipped
the 14 and
28th Corps from all reports.
I don't know as it was any victory to
the
rebels but the 2 Corps were brought
to a halt and that is so unusual
that we termed it a whip. I can show
the
position occupied at the first
day's fight.[1]
The rebels decidely
outnumbered the
2 Corps. Reports say that they charged
the 14 Corps 4
times, they were all impregnated
with a solution of gunpowder and
whisky.
The 14 Corps had rail barricades and
killed a great many of the
rebels.
They
shot deliberate, nearly all the rebels were
hit in the breast or
head, but you
will learn all this from your papers. I wish we had the
same privilege of reading
the news that you have, a paper is a
rarity. I
think that there is a
good prospect of having peace before long.
I think
that the rebellion is played out, as
the term is in the army. I guess
that
Davis, Lee and crew begin to see that
it is a failure and I am
satisfied
that the southern people and
the privates in their army almost
exclusively desire
peace. As they
fail we gain strength. There never
was an army more
confident
than
Sherman's. I believe that when
he leaves here he will have an army
sufficient to cope with the whole
confederate army of Lee, Johnston
combined. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 10 | Author: | Senior, Charles Berry | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, 1865 June 27 | | | | Published: | 2000 | | | | Description: | I will
write a few lines to let you
know I am well, and I
hope you may all be in the
enjoyment of good health. We
are still at the same camp
ground about 6 miles east of
Louisville. I don't know how
long we shall remain here but
I hope we shall soon be permitted
to go home. Six men of our
company are gone home on furlough.
The orders are to furlough 12 per
cent of the army. I see that some
of this army are to be mustered
out. I don't venture to say who
it may be, nor dont make any
calculations. disappointment
has already been deep enough
but still I hope that we might
be once lucky I hope that I
shall get home sometime this
summer. It is the general
impression that our regiment
stands a good chance as they
are one of the oldest veteran organ
izations, only one regiment from
Iowa being older, the 2nd
I had made calculations of
spending the 4th of July some
where in Iowa but that
cannot be. They are making
quiet extensive preparations
at the Louisville fair grounds
for celebrating the 4th I
presume we will be nearer
Louisville than
Iowa
I remember how we spent the
last 4th down on the Chatta
hoochie, exposed to shell and
bullets while we were throwing up
breastworks we made remarks, and wondered
where we would be next 4th. Well
things are much changed for
the better since then and I
can spend this 4th more pleas
antly probably than the last
yet I think the next 4th will
be better yet The weather
is very warm here but here
we have a good camp with
splendid beech shade trees
to lounge under on the grass, I
have not heard from you since
leaving Washington I have
wrote a number of letters
I suppose you were expecting
me home, but never stop writing
till I get there. There has
happened quiet a slip between
the cup and the lip.[1]
We are camped near the
Woodlawn race courses, where
trotting matches are going on
I have not been since the running
races closed which was 2 weeks
ago, trotting only commenced
yesterday. I had the luck
of seeing the fastest horses
in America run, one Asteroid
that has never been beat, but
I must close, as I know of
nothing more at present | | | Similar Items: | Find |
|
