|
II. HEADED SOUTH: THE CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF
You must tell the world the story; When the boys in Blue are gone.” ―John Hendricks, Last Surviving Veteran of the 89th Indiana Volunteer Infantry   Andrew's Scanned Handwritten Letters 8 through 10.• Scanned Letter 9 ― 07 Dec 1862 • Scanned Letter 10 ― 21 Dec 1862 | |
|
|
Letters #8 - #10: On December 1, 1862, the 114th O.V.I. shipped out from Camp Marietta, OH, to Memphis, Tennessee. Thoughts of what might lie ahead for Andrew and his 114th O.V.I. begin to emerge. Andrew and his 114th O.V.I. boarded sixty troop transports and sailed down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. They would eventually disembarked at Johnston's Landing on the Yazoo River.
In Andrew's Letter of December 1, he reports that officer's were "tering up notes". As the Union Army moved southward, they sought to enforce a degree of secrecy as to the Army's destination, strength and objective. Confederate spies and pro-southern sympathizers were a major concern throughout the Civil War.
Andrew discusses some of the unfortunate accidents likely to occur when moving an army of men, such as a barracks fire. Andrew writes of the perils of this long river journey, and of the several men who fell off the transport ships and drowned. He also writes of seeing the lights of Cincinnati as the ships passed by in darkness.
Andrew mentions that some of his acquaintances in the 114th have deserted the Army. Although missing his wife and children, and concerned about their welfare, Andrew tells Bell, "I can't bear that disgrace" (of desertion).
At the conclusion of these three letters, Andrew is camped at Helena, Arkansas, about sixty miles south of Memphis. Writing Bell's step-ather from camp, he creates a graphic visual image for his reader, "I am now seated on a barl and riting on a box in the sun". It is easy to visualize Andrew writing this letter in an expansive Federal encampment with campaign tents pitched as far the eye can see.
December the 1 1862 My Dear beloved wife it is with pleasur that I take my pen in hand to let you no how I got along from marietta we got started from camp and some of the litel boys was in the camp and got to burning some of the straw that was in the bunks and set some of company aches shantys on fire and their was three companesy sent back to help tare down the camp or a nuff of it to stop the fire and then we got on the bote cald Izetta on saturday and got to cin cin nati on sunday after dark I did not tell you how I was I am well and harty I sent you my pictur and a leter to mount plesant you nead rite till you get a nother leter from me for I dont no whare we will go but they ar tering up notes So fare well at presant andrew J. Nickel to his Wife
December the 7 1862 Memphis Tenasee My dear Beloved Wife I have taken my pen in hand to let you now that I am well and have ben ever since I was at home and I hope that theas few lines may find you in Joying the same blessing I have riten two leters and sent to vinton co and sent my pictur also to swan post offest in the care of father I received you leter of the 23 yesterday and was glad to hear that you was all well and you said that your sail was in a day or so and if they plows and the gears did not fish what you thaught they would aught two that david davis was a going to bid them of that is all right but did not say wheather you was agoing to move to vinton or not but I will direct my leters their Now I must tell you some thing a bout our trip from marietta to this place we started on saturday and got to cincin nati on sunday night and when we was geting on the other boats they was taking out gards to ceep the boys our of town and it was dark and the first man that started out and got on the flat boat walked off with his nap sack and gun in his hand and in to the river and went the full length of the flat boat and came up a gane and got out (he was in Co B) and the next morning as we started out their was one of our Co got his head fast be twen the gard and one of the posts and I was by and pushed the gard off and let his head out and he was not hurt and we went a bout five miles their was one of Co H boys fell over board and was lost and on the other boat their was one man died in Co A and that was all the bad luck that we had in coming down the river we ar in camped in a bout a mile from memphis direct your leters to memphis in the same that you did to marietta I want a full history of your sail and your trip to vinton so fare well for a while Andrew J. Nickel Well Ellon I must send you a few lines I have not riten a leter to John yet but I will soon the 90 was seven miles east of nashville so I think that it is not necesary to direct to luisvile If I get a leter from him I will send it to you if you dew not get a leter from him before I dew so Fare well for a while
So Fare well for all Andrew J. Nickel
december the 21 1862 We are on the boat at Camp helena arcansas a waten for some more soldiers to go down the river with us we stade at Camp Coliver near memphes two weaks to a day and yesterday w started down the river now my dear I have riten two or three leters to you and have got no answer the last leter I got was dated the twety third of last month I have riten a leter to John Shively and have not gotten any answer yet I was on picket yesterday morning but was not out long till we was called in to leave and as we came in I saw something that made me feal bad it was two litel boys a bout the size of dock with a hatchet a pease a choping wood per hapse to cook their diners and I thaught about my dear litel boys at home and thaught poor litel fellows if you had to chop the wood to cook your diner how sorrow i would be to hear it I have but one leter stamp and I will have to send my leters with out stamps or you will have to send me some but it may be best for me to send them their and let you pay the postage their for if you was to send them to me I might not get them but if I can get some of the sutler I will dew so I am well and have ben all the time I cant tell you when I will be home but I will come as soon as i can get to go their was four of our boys deserted last weak it was Thomas Smith Eliza and Samuel Mitchel and James Riley but I cant bear that dis grace right once a weak and direct your leters to memphes tennessee and they will fol low the regment in the care of Capton Abreham 114 reg So Fare well for awhile Andrew J. Nickel To his beloved wife I. F. Nickel I have no ink at this time
|
 Please Sign Andrew's Guestbook View Andrew's Guestbook
|
I. Andrew Becomes a Soldier... |
II. Headed South... |
III. The First Fights... | "THE CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF ANDREW JACKSON NICKELL" "Battle Hymn of the Republic" -- U.S. Army Band -- Public Domain mp3 |
