1861 August 15 [Washington, D. C.]

[letter of Hiram M. Cash continues]

We have not mooved yet and I guess we shall remain here for the present we are expecting an attack every day but we ar ready for them we have three heavy masked batteries and three open one one of them fort Elsworth is a very large one the other two are small ones we have also a large amount of cavalry and infantry to protect the forts and we hope they will attack us if they do we will show them how to march double quick time. we have first rate beds to lay on made of cedar boughs we spread one blanket on the boughs and put the other over us and we sleep comfortable enough for any one I never have seen the time since I enlisted but I have enough to eat such as it is and you all know what that is army fare

I have not much news finally there is not any here we heard some news from Western Virginia or Missouri wher there has been a great battle in which 8000 of our men beat 23000 rebels killing generels Price and McCullough and a good many men besides. general Lions was also killed on our side he was a very smart and good man the next day generel Siegel next to Lion in command retired back to his old camp ground where he will be reenforcd I have no more particulers to write

Tell the boys not to waite for me [to] write for I cannot get much time to write

Yours in hast

Hiram M. Cash

You will find enclosed a few peices of the stair casing that came off from the room where Elsworth was killed I have quite a large peice that I keep in my pocket and I split these peices off from it you can keep what you want and give the rest away

Hiram M. Cash

Private, Co. K, 5th Maine

Cash refers to the battle at Wilsons Creek, August 10, in Missouri, in which Union General Nathaniel Lyon was killed and his successor Samuel Davis Sturgis made the controversial decision to withdraw. Confederate Generals Sterling Price and Ben McCulloch both survived the battle, Cash's rumor to the contrary. McCulloch was killed in action in 1862; Price survived the war. The rumor Cash relates also greatly exaggerated the number of troops in action. There were about 4500 Union troops and 11,000 Confederates. German born Franz Sigel had an undistinguished role in the battle followed by four equally undistinguished years as a Union general. He was more important for his ability to rally German Americans to the Union cause than any military brilliance. "I fights mit Sigel" became the slogan of German American troops.

MSS 12916