This letter headed, “In the woods near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Monday January 5^th, 1863”, was written 3 days after the bloody battle of Stones River Tennessee took place.  The letter was written by Robert Gordon a Corporal in Company A of the 36^th Indiana Infantry.  Check out some of the amazing content in this letter!

·         “After nine days almost incessant fighting, we are again left the heroes of another of the
Bloody Battles of our day.  We retired late last evening from the battlefield, and enjoyed
for the first time for nine long days, a night’s sleep exempt from the stench of decaying
bodies, and unmolested by the roar of Musketry and Artillery.”

·         “I washed my face and hands this morning for the first time this year…”

·         “…One thing I do know, that men had no business of being where there is any harder
fighting and heavier charges made than where we had been and the greatest wonder, is,
that there is as many of us living this morning as is.  For we have not only fought by day
but at the dead hour of night.”

·         “…we have had to cook, eat, and sleep in mud half knee deep, and in the Blood and over
the bodies of our bunkmates that fell the day before.”

·         “Our supply train was taken and destroyed to such an extent, that we were reduced to
the robbing the Haversacks of the dead, using wheat for coffee, and many eat the flesh
of Horses.”

·         “Our Regiments loss the first day in killed and wounded was estimated at near two
hundred.”

·         “The Rebels fought ferociously here, charging upon our Ambulances, and Hospital, and
at one time when I had charge of a detail a burying some dead, they opened on us with
their Artillery so that we were compelled to abandon our work and leave the dead half
buried.”

The letter is four pages in ink with some staining (to add character!).  It is easily read and paints a tremendous picture of this hard fought battle in Tennessee! 

#S43 - Price $595