From Jerome to probably Allie, May 29, 1863
Dublin Core
Title
From Jerome to probably Allie, May 29, 1863
Subject
Peirce, Jerome
Allie
Breedingsville, KY.
Description
From Jerome to probably Allie
Creator
Jerome Peirce
Source
Jerome Peirce Collection, National Park Service
Publisher
HIST 428 (Spring 2020), University of Mary Washington
Date
1863-05-29
Contributor
NPS, Civil War Study Group, Josef Rokus (Transcriber)
Rights
For educational purposes with no commercial use. Courtesy of National Park Service, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP, FRSP 16095-16102 (FRSP-00904).
Format
7.12 X 8.46
8.44 X 13
Jpg
8.44 X 13
Jpg
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
Letter #117
Coverage
Breedingsville, KY.
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
LETTER TRANSCRIPTION
Friday 29 [May, 1863]
Friday 29th P.M. Moved from “Beech woods” camp as I must call it, tho the Sergeant learned it was Katisville. Started at 9 o’clk a.m. and had a rapid tiresome march. A terrible road for the most fording streams frequently and through some wild forest scenery, immense tress, beech and black walnut. Commenced raining after a while and increased rapidly wetting us to the skin. Halted about 3 P.M. and made coffee in an orchard. Still raining, after awhile quarters were obtained in the barns, outbuildings, etc. there being a log village here dignified by the name of Breedingsville. Fires built and busy trying to dry blankets, glad I only took my rubbers. Query when will our knapsacks come up and rations? For we bid adieu to Columbia and the tents we took so much pain to “fix up”.
Yesterday scouts were out and came in with tidings of Mor[gan] or his gang at least not within 9 miles, but I expect a “movement forward” is fairly in progress. Tomorrow, we know nothing but the talk is we go to Burksville 16 miles on the Cumberland [River]. Country rough but immediately about here more cultivated as usual when anything like a village.
Hope for a mail and rations tomorrow, for news from home will be most welcome. Boys in excellent spirits not withstanding the exceeding discomfort of today’s march and Co. “B” sing a little.
Sat. morning 30th. Prospects improving. Cleaning off and bids fair to be warm. Mail and rations just came up. Two nice letters from Allie and Sister Mary F [Frances]. Miss little Lulu’s darling, how much I would give to see her! Busy putting equipments, gun etc. in order. No rebs this side of the Cumberland [River] so an old scout said this morn. just from the river. Rations ready.
Friday 29 [May, 1863]
Friday 29th P.M. Moved from “Beech woods” camp as I must call it, tho the Sergeant learned it was Katisville. Started at 9 o’clk a.m. and had a rapid tiresome march. A terrible road for the most fording streams frequently and through some wild forest scenery, immense tress, beech and black walnut. Commenced raining after a while and increased rapidly wetting us to the skin. Halted about 3 P.M. and made coffee in an orchard. Still raining, after awhile quarters were obtained in the barns, outbuildings, etc. there being a log village here dignified by the name of Breedingsville. Fires built and busy trying to dry blankets, glad I only took my rubbers. Query when will our knapsacks come up and rations? For we bid adieu to Columbia and the tents we took so much pain to “fix up”.
Yesterday scouts were out and came in with tidings of Mor[gan] or his gang at least not within 9 miles, but I expect a “movement forward” is fairly in progress. Tomorrow, we know nothing but the talk is we go to Burksville 16 miles on the Cumberland [River]. Country rough but immediately about here more cultivated as usual when anything like a village.
Hope for a mail and rations tomorrow, for news from home will be most welcome. Boys in excellent spirits not withstanding the exceeding discomfort of today’s march and Co. “B” sing a little.
Sat. morning 30th. Prospects improving. Cleaning off and bids fair to be warm. Mail and rations just came up. Two nice letters from Allie and Sister Mary F [Frances]. Miss little Lulu’s darling, how much I would give to see her! Busy putting equipments, gun etc. in order. No rebs this side of the Cumberland [River] so an old scout said this morn. just from the river. Rations ready.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
NOTE 1: This letter does not contain a salutation or closing, but it was definitely written by Jerome to Allie, based on the penmanship, writing style, its content and the content of letters preceding and following this letter. The next letter (Letter No. 118) is essentially a continuation of this letter, with the first part of that letter starting with the afternoon of May 30, 1863. The end of that letter includes the usual closing from Jerome to Allie.
NOTE 2: The Unit History provides the following summary of the Regiment’s movements in late May of 1863.
April 8 – May 26, 1863. The regiment moved to Camp Dick Robinson, near Bryantsville, Kentucky, south of Lexington, and then to Middleburg, Kentucky. It remained there until May 26, when it moved again to Columbia, Kentucky. During that time, on May 13, it was alerted to be on the look-out for Morgan’s Raiders, but no contact was made.
May 27 – June 9, 1863. The 36th marched to Jamestown, Kentucky, where it remained until June 4. On that day, it was ordered to proceed by rail to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Gen. Grant needed reinforcements, reaching Cairo, Illinois, on June 9.
NOTE 3: The reference to “Morgan and his gang” is to Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan, whose raids became increasingly a nuisance to the Union army. His most famous (or infamous) raid or expedition was a diversionary incursion by Confederate cavalry into the northern U.S. states of Indiana and Ohio. The raid took place from June 11–July 26, 1863. Although it caused temporary alarm in the North, the raid was ultimately classed as a failure.
The raid covered more than 1,000 miles, beginning in Tennessee and ending in northern Ohio. It coincided with the Vicksburg Campaign and the Gettysburg Campaign, and it was meant to draw U.S. troops away from these fronts by frightening the North into demanding their troops return home. Despite his initial successes, Morgan was thwarted in his attempts to re-cross the Ohio River and eventually was forced to surrender what remained of his command in northeastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania border. Morgan and other senior officers were kept in the Ohio state penitentiary, but they tunneled their way out and took a train to Cincinnati, where they crossed the Ohio River to safety.
The activity described in this letter pertaining to Morgan’s raid apparently preceded what is now considered to be the timeframe of the raid, i.e., June and July 1863, which Jerome would not have known about, of course, when he wrote this letter in late May of 1863.
NOTE 4: The “Mary” referred to in this letter was almost certainly Allie’s younger sister, Mary Frances Jaquith. She was born in 1841, while Allie (Albinia) was born in 1834.
NOTE 1: This letter does not contain a salutation or closing, but it was definitely written by Jerome to Allie, based on the penmanship, writing style, its content and the content of letters preceding and following this letter. The next letter (Letter No. 118) is essentially a continuation of this letter, with the first part of that letter starting with the afternoon of May 30, 1863. The end of that letter includes the usual closing from Jerome to Allie.
NOTE 2: The Unit History provides the following summary of the Regiment’s movements in late May of 1863.
April 8 – May 26, 1863. The regiment moved to Camp Dick Robinson, near Bryantsville, Kentucky, south of Lexington, and then to Middleburg, Kentucky. It remained there until May 26, when it moved again to Columbia, Kentucky. During that time, on May 13, it was alerted to be on the look-out for Morgan’s Raiders, but no contact was made.
May 27 – June 9, 1863. The 36th marched to Jamestown, Kentucky, where it remained until June 4. On that day, it was ordered to proceed by rail to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Gen. Grant needed reinforcements, reaching Cairo, Illinois, on June 9.
NOTE 3: The reference to “Morgan and his gang” is to Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan, whose raids became increasingly a nuisance to the Union army. His most famous (or infamous) raid or expedition was a diversionary incursion by Confederate cavalry into the northern U.S. states of Indiana and Ohio. The raid took place from June 11–July 26, 1863. Although it caused temporary alarm in the North, the raid was ultimately classed as a failure.
The raid covered more than 1,000 miles, beginning in Tennessee and ending in northern Ohio. It coincided with the Vicksburg Campaign and the Gettysburg Campaign, and it was meant to draw U.S. troops away from these fronts by frightening the North into demanding their troops return home. Despite his initial successes, Morgan was thwarted in his attempts to re-cross the Ohio River and eventually was forced to surrender what remained of his command in northeastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania border. Morgan and other senior officers were kept in the Ohio state penitentiary, but they tunneled their way out and took a train to Cincinnati, where they crossed the Ohio River to safety.
The activity described in this letter pertaining to Morgan’s raid apparently preceded what is now considered to be the timeframe of the raid, i.e., June and July 1863, which Jerome would not have known about, of course, when he wrote this letter in late May of 1863.
NOTE 4: The “Mary” referred to in this letter was almost certainly Allie’s younger sister, Mary Frances Jaquith. She was born in 1841, while Allie (Albinia) was born in 1834.
Original Format
Letter/Paper
Files
Collection
Reference
Jerome Peirce 1863, From Jerome to probably Allie, May 29, 1863, HIST 428 (Spring 2020), University of Mary Washington
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