Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Post image for 3000 miles of campaigning.–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

3000 miles of campaigning.–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

February 26, 2015

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry)

Fullersville, S. C., Sunday, February 26, 1865.

Sixty hours of rain terminated at daylight this morning, but it has not hurt the sandy roads a particle. We made 11 miles in four and one quarter hours, and are now waiting for a bridge to be completed over this creek, “Lynch’s.” We think now we are on the road to Wilmington. The map shows a good deal of railroad to be destroyed on the way, but I think we will get through by the 15th of March. Expect “you uns” are getting anxious about “we uns” again. This is, I think, a much longer thing than the Savannah campaign. Our 4th division took 103 prisoners here last night and our 2d took 200 more to-day. They are State Line Troops and muchly demoralized. It is a fact about that murdering yesterday. Sherman is out in a big retaliation order to-day. Wilmington is reported ours. Thunder and lightning last evening. Hear that the rain has raised the creek until it is three-quarters of a mile wide, and we won’t get across to-morrow. I think I’ll put down our principal campaigns:

1st. Dec, 1862, The Tallahatchie River Campaign 120 miles.

2nd. April, 1863, The Panola, Miss., 9 day’s march 180 miles.

3rd. July, 1863, Jackson, Miss., Campaign… 100 miles.

4th. Oct. & Nov., ’63, Memphis to Chattanooga, and in

5th. Dec. to Maryville, Tenn., and back to Scottsboro, Ala 800 miles.

6th. Jan., ’64, Wills Valley Campaign 100 miles.

7th. Feb. & March, ’64, Dalton, Ga., Campaign 300 miles.

8th. May until Sept., Atlanta Campaign 400 miles.

9th. Oct., 1864, Atlanta to Gadsden, Ala., and return 300 miles.

10th. Nov. & Dec, Atlanta to Savannah…. 300 miles.

Jan., Feb. & March, ’65, The Carolina Campaign 400 miles.

Total 3,000 miles.

A captain and seven men who went foraging yesterday are still missing, supposed to be captured or killed. And 20 men of the 97th Indiana who went out this morning are reported all killed by a 46th Ohio man, who was wounded and left for dead by the Rebels. He says the 97th boys paid for themselves in dead Rebels before they were overpowered. Our corps has now 500 prisoners, three times as many as we have lost.

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