19 January 1862, Kentucky, War Between the
States
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Letters of David Griffin, Company F, 2nd Minnesota Infantry From "Letters Home to Minnesota," edited by Joan W. Albertson, P. D. Enterprises, Spokane, WA, 1993.
It has rained most all the time since we have been here, but it has not rained hard enough to hinder the boys from foraging a bit on their own. Saturday we cooked 7 geese, Sunday 12, and today we have about 30 geese, 10 turkeys, 4 hogs and a few chickens brought in by our company. There is two regiments camped here, 20 companies and I know our companies fetch in mutton, pork, and honey. The Col. of the Brigade tells our officers to let the boys go and get what they can and if they get anything from a Union man he can pay him for it and if from a secesh, he had better keep still. It was better for the boys to be a stirring around than to be laying around in the mud. The cook and I go along with the teams and I do not have to carry my knapsack as they do in the ranks. It is carried in the wagon. There is 15 six-mule teams along with the Regiment and there is two regiments together now.
SITTING ON? -- 10 JAN 1862... you must excuse my mistakes and bad writing, for I had to sit down on a knapsack and take one on my knees to write on that. Last night and today I am standing up at the hind end of a wagon, and I have to stop every little while and see to the fire and help cook. The Minnesota boys stand the soldering better than the Kentucky boys do.
ON THE MARCH, CAMP NEAR ZOLLICOFFER IN KY 17 JAN 1862 the regiment went 15 miles but the teams did not get but 8 miles. The roads were so awful bad and we had to work hard to get as far as we did with them...The regiment was about 7 miles ahead. They did not have any tents to sleep in, nor anything to eat. only what they got a foraging...we caught up with them last night just before dark and they were glad to see us, too, for they had not had any coffee to drink since yesterday morning...I take a hard cracker and crumb it into the coffee and eat it without any milk. We have sugar a plenty. I do not drink any tea only when I am sick...
ON THE "GIRLS" I do not have time to talk with the "girls" when I am in camp, but when I am on the road I go ahead of the teams until I see some of the KY "belles" and I stop and have a fine talk with them until the team comes up. Some of them are pretty good looking too. Tell C. that if he was down here, he might find him a school marm, perhaps, for there is "a right smart chance of that, I reckon." They are all of them think a 'heap' of the Minn. boys.
THE INDIAN YELL -- OR THE BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS -- CAMP HAMILTON, KY 22 JAN 1862 I was getting breakfast with the other cook when the company was called out. Our 'orderly Sergeant' told us that we need not go out, but when I hear the cracking of the guns, I could not stand it. I told Louis the cook, that I did not enlist to cook, but to fight, and that he could do just as he pleased, but I should take my gun and go with the company. So I threw on my overcoat, for it was raining quite hard at the time, and buckled my cartridge belt around me, bade the cook good-bye and started. I ran about one mile and came up with the company after they had started to form into line. They were ordered to the field, to which we started through a thick piece of woods and came up to the enemy just as the 19th [10th] Indiana were retreating. The enemy was advancing with fixed bayonets, but the Minnesota boys came up to them with an Indian yell and such a volley as there was poured upon them for about 40 minutes, was never before heard. When the enemy gave way for us, we were so close to each other that some of our boys pulled their guns out of their hands. There was nothing but a fence between us. Fortunate for our side, they shot too high. There was only 48 killed on our side and 140 wounded...12 killed and 23 wounded in the Minnesota 2nd. There was not a man wounded in Co. F. They [Confederates] all carried a big knife about 18" long and 2" wide. I have got one of them to carry home with me if I go. Their guns were a good many of them flintlock muskets. As they ran they threw away everything that they could blankets, guns, knapsacks, coats, hats, and everything. Our boys had a great time in pilaging the tents. They found clothing of all kinds and quality, watches, jewelry, swords, knifes, pistols, daguerreotypes, letters, keepsakes, and most everything that you can think of. We could not fetch any great deal with us for we had no way to carry it. I got me a nice grey coat which belonged to a lieutenant in the secesh army, which I have got done up and have put in a trunk that Norman Case got and is going to send it home by express....I also got an India Rubber overcoat, an undercoat, a pair of white blankets, and shirt and one pair of socks -- in all worth about $20.00
Thanks to Bill Christen for supplying a copy of these letters.
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