University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, October 22, 1864

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.

It appears as if Hood intended to open
another campaign, or they say Beauregard
is in command now. There has several times
expectations of his coming here. This place

is strongly fortified and he has not yet made
us a visit. The report is that he is
away up to Blue mountains in Alabama.
But I think that he had better have
staid on the other side of the Chatta
hoochie. They have succeeded by this
unexpected move tore up a long strip
of our railroad but they have not
accomplished their object in driving
Sherman back from Atlanta.
3 months now is fraught with very
exciting, momentous events. Hurrah for
Lincoln is the unanimous cry of the
army as far as I have seen. A man
dare not open his mouth for McClellan.
I hope the end is not distant. Watchword
God Grant Victory