"I think when Colonel Morgan rejoins the regiment, after we have whipped the rebels at Corinth and our men have a prospect of a little rest, I will have to manage to get sick!—and by this means get a sick-leave of a month, and come home to see my little daughter to keep her from growing entirely out of my knowledge, and to enjoy the long-desired society of my dear wife and friends. But I won't set my heart upon it, neither must you, for the probabilities are we will have to finish up this rebellion before any of us can get home. Then I will come and make a lifelong visit with you; for it will take a very loud and patriotic call from my country to make me leave my family again."
In my letter of the 21st I note an event which led to an important change in my military service. My wife had two brothers, younger than herself, Theodore, a student in the senior class at the State University, and Alexander, then a clerk in the post-office at Evansville. When the war broke out Alexander (or "Zan") was very anxious to enlist, but he was only sixteen years old, and we refused our consent largely on account of his youth, and besides, as I was about to enter the service, I wanted him to stay at home to look after my wife and their mother. But after the successive victories at Donelson and Shiloh, and he heard from the returned soldiers about me, he became restless to join our regiment. I refer to him in my letter of the 25th:—
"I sent Zan a telegram and also wrote him a letter yesterday, saying if Theodore could take his place in the post-office, I would have him made a lieutenant and assign him to duty as regimental commissary. But I do not want you to be left at home without one of the boys with you, while I am away, and he is not to come without the approval of father and his mother.
"Another reason which has caused me to decide for him to come, on the above conditions, was that Aleck [my brother] has been a little unwell for some weeks, is getting tired, insists on going out of the service, and says he has only stayed on my account. He says if Zan comes he can act as commissary and he (Aleck) will stay a month until Zan gets posted in the business; and we can have him appointed regimental quartermaster. If Aleck goes home, as he seems determined to do, I would like to have Zan with me, as I don't fancy being here alone."
V
ON TO CORINTH AND MEMPHIS
Evidently General Halleck's efforts to reorganize the army after the battle of Shiloh were having a salutary effect in the camp, as indicated in my letter of the 21st of April:—
"We are having greater confidence in the army now. We think Halleck will manage affairs with much system and skill, and will not cause such needless slaughter of brave soldiers as we had on the 6th. I am glad to see the public journals exposing the wretched generalship which permitted a complete surprise of a large army, and its almost complete annihilation. But matters will go on much better now. System is beginning to be apparent in every department, and care and foresight. If we only had a good, full regiment everything would go well with me, but we are sadly cut up. Sickness has weakened us very much, and the two last battles have seriously reduced us. Our officers from sickness, exposure and other causes are resigning; two of them go home to-morrow. My own health and spirits are very good, but it is a little discouraging to see the regiment so weakened."
But I cannot end the extracts without a little glimpse at our home life, for which I so often express a longing in my letters. The Mr. Tubbs referred to was the bearer of my wife's letter:—