Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

[58th C]

http://books.google.com/books?id=s349lI7F_H8C&dq=8th+cavalry+march+to+the+sea&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=fGmLopLqsy&sig=lq8wUQHARZywyIEaMEYWqOpI2-c&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPP1,M1

Letters and Diary of the late Charles W. Wills , 8th IL, 17th IL Cavalry and 103 IL. Description of the march pages 318-336. Light reading, Noted that Gen. Order 26 was read repeatedly to the troops.

Lauren Ehas

[Jon The Beloved]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

I've been skimming this for some time now.. Don't you just love getting to preview a book? Thanks for the heads up!

[Thomas Alleman]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

Favorite quote " We all voted this morning that opossum meat was good enough for white folk". So opossum anyone? Great read, you can almost go date for date on this one. The militia sure did allot of running and was full of old men and young boys. How sad to read of 15 year olds getting killed. This is on page 320.

[btfire]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

Here is a link to Private Jefferson Moses, Company G, 93rd Illinois Volunteers. It is quite a diary and also memoirs. Links with photos and his enlistment papers.

[Coatsy]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

Pay close attention to the mention of Sweet Potatoes in your reading/research folks. It is a little known fact that Georgia is set on a tectonic plate of Yams. (for all of my Yankee pals :wink_smil )

[RJSamp]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

http://books.google.com/books?id=s34...result#PPP1,M1


Letters and Diary of the late Charles W. Wills , 8th IL, 17th IL Cavalry and 103 IL.


Lauren Ehas

Some quick corrections Lauren, thanks for the link!

8th IL INFANTRY
7th IL CAVALRY
103rd IL INFANTRY

7th IL Cavalry amongst the best we've ever had in reenacting....you've seen them in Many movies (North & South, Blue & Gray, Son of the Morning Star, Patriot, et al), even served under them at events when you went as infantry.......

[Brian Baird]

Coasty,
To pull a quote from MARCHING THROUGH GEOGIA by Lee Kennett:

“On November 18, when General Slocum’s troops were streaming through Morgan County and its county seat, Madison, they came upon a bonanza: a mountain of freshly harvested sweet potatoes, some three thousand bushels of them, on the plantation of a Mr. Jones. The men helped themselves, and when the last had passed, the last sweet potatoes were gone as well. Nor were sweet potatoes all they took from Mr. Jones, for one of the officers noted that “several of his negroes joined us, concluding they had worked long enough for Mr. Jones, ”

Brian Baird
One Of Brown's Pets

Start reading now Boys! There are many great accounts out there on the march through Georgia

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

P. 321

Nov 19, 1864
"By the kindness of Mrs. Elizabeth Celia Pye, I occupy a feather bed to-night... She understood fromt eh Rebels that we burned all houses and she took all her things out and hid them in the woods. The foragers found them and brought them in to her."

Next day:
"I think there is less pillaging this trip than I ever saw before."

hmmmm interesting.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Army life of an Illinois soldier, including a day by day account of Sherman's march to the sea

Ok.. this is just too funny not to post:

P.329 Nov 28, 64
"Lieutenant Dorrance swallowed his false teeth a few nights ago, and complains that they don't agree with him"