1862 April 9th Corinth Miss

                         Corinth Miss
                          April 9th 1862
Dear Mary
         You have doubtless heard
of the great Battle fought at Ham
burg Hardin county on Sunday
and Monday last.  We left here on
Thursday evening after dark with
five days rations prepared each
company with two tents.  We marched
until two o clock in night & camped
until day.  Then took up the
line of march.  The road was
so crowded with troops that we could
go only three miles on Friday.
On Saturday we marched 8 miles
& camped in hearing of hun
dreds of Lincolns [guns?]
by day break next mor
ning we were ________ in
line of Battle. The battle
commenced on our right

[page 2]
att once we had not marched
more than half a mile before the
Lincoln Batteries opened on us with
shell & ball. From this time until
1/2 an hour by sun the Battle raged
for miles around.  Both sides fight
ing with desperation. We howev
er gained gradually & steadily up
on them until the time above
state where we took a large
number of prisoners & we retired
[?] & took possession of the Lin
coln tents for the night we had
the greatest abundance of provisions
blankets & [?] --But the enemy
kept a firing of cannon from
their gunboats all night & we
were not enabled to sleep.
We arose the next morning early
unrefreshed & were not permitted
to take our breakfast before
they attacked our lines again
They had received large re
enforcements during the night
and this day we were com

[page 3]
pelled to give back until they had
retaken all the ground that we had gained the day
before.  Our men fought with fury
but were overwhelmed & in every
engagement we found the enemy
in sufficient numbers to flank
around our lines & then
compel us to retire--at 2 o clock
Genl. Beauregard ordered a portion
of Genl Polks & Hardee's divisions
to retire slowly on the road to cor
inth. This we did. Brann & a por-
tion of each of the other divis-
ions remaining behind to give bat-
tle to the enemy.  I marched that eve
ning 8 miles to our two tents and arrived
here yesterday at 12 o clock very
dirty & weary but well.  Our Regiment
fought gallantly gaining the praise
of Ll Col. Freeman convinced all
who saw him that he is among the bra
vest of men.  Our Regiment had
the honor of taking prisoner Genl. Pren
tiss and some 1000 others We
have suffered much loss

[page 4]
The statistics aren't yet in
Our Col. Lieut Co & adjutant were
all wounded 4 killed out
right to wit David Jones, D.C. Phillips
Isaac E. Highfill & Jesse Berbard[?]
another, Thos Grantham I fear is mortal
ly wounded.  One had his arm so shat
tered as to be amputated--others pain

fully wounded in arms and legs
I thank God that it is no worse
It was a most fearful & long protract
ed contest.  Forty hours it raged
with the fury of contending elements
I was in it all until ordered off
at 2 o clock of Monday. Still I am again
most providentially spared with but a
slight bruise on the upper lip.  A bullet
wound.  My company behaved admirably
as the number wounded will prove.
Major Bills will tell you that poor March was
wounded & taken prisoner.  It could have been easily
prevented it seems to me if the proper steps had
been taken I knew nothing of the battery being thus
engaged until Monday evening when I
heard he was wounded.  I  have much to do
as my wounded men come in.  I will write
more fully very soon & I send some little trophies
to the children.  I continually give thanks
to God for  his mercies to me & mine
                          Yours in love, R. H. Wood

MSS 10640