To Mrs. Lyon.
(The following letter was written in the trenches in lead pencil, on the brown paper that was wrapped around his loaf of bread) :
May 31, 1862.—I wrote you yesterday in the trenches, two miles from Corinth and one mile from the rebel fortifications. Today I write you from the same place.
Yesterday there was a brisk artillery fight, lasting nearly all day, between one of our batteries and a rebel fort a mile off, mounting four guns. Their shell and shot passed over our entrenchments, in which we lay quietly and safely. During the night there have been movements going on which convince us that Corinth is evacuated. There has been great activity among our troops this morning, and as I write our men are taking possession, without fighting, of the fort that fired at us so vigorously yesterday and on Wednesday. The stars and stripes wave over it in plain view of us, and the wild cheers of our men give but a faint expression of our delight .
Lieut. Lathrop, of Company I, who is acting as Aide to Colonel Loomis, in temporary command of our brigade, just rode along our lines and informed us that two of our regiments were already in Corinth. And thus, through the masterly generalship of General Halleck, the battle of Corinth has been fought and won with so little loss of life. Where the rebels have gone, or what our future movements will be, is yet a profound mystery to us. And now, after telling you for the fiftieth time that I am perfectly well and that the health of the boys is very good, I will give you a few more details of the fight.
On Wednesday the rebel line of attack was immediately in front of the 8th Wisconsin and the 5th Minnesota, posted on our left. We lay behind the brow of a slight elevation of ground. We heard the rebels coming, heard their officers cheering them on in terms more earnest than polite, but we lay still until they were within ten rods of us, when the old 8th rose and poured a volley into them that threw them into the wildest confusion. Before they reached the woods in their rear we poured ten more volleys into them. As they retreated our artillery got a raking fire on them, killing and wounding large numbers. We found fifteen or twenty dead and wounded immediately in front of our company. The dead we buried, the wounded we cared for.
Our regiment stood firm to a man, and did the most of the fighting done by infantry on that day. Thousands of men saw us in the fight, and everybody speaks in the highest terms of the courage of the 8th. Let Wisconsin be assured that her honor will never be compromised by her sons of the ‘Eagle Regiment.’
Our loss is remarkably light. I have already told you that Ralph M. Coon of my company was killed. He was standing in the front ranks, fighting bravely, and was shot through the body. He said he was wounded, walked calmly to the rear, and was carried off the field. He soon became insensible and died in an hour. We sent his body back to the camp, and yesterday sorrowing friends laid the brave young hero in his last resting place. Let his name be added to the roll of honor!
Charles Noyes, also of Company K, was severely wounded in the leg, just above the knee. He, too, was in the front rank, bravely doing his duty when he was struck. He appears to be doing well and is in good spirits. S. A. Henderson was also slightly wounded in the hand.
I must give you a little circumstance, too good to be lost, showing the temper of some of our boys.
Lucas Lathrop, son of A. H. Lathrop, of Mount Pleasant, is as fine a specimen of a soldier and patriot as you will find. Brave, intelligent and earnest, he has gained the respect of the entire regiment. He is a soldier of the Cromwellian stamp, a devoted Christian, carrying his religion with him, holding prayer meetings in his tent, and striving to set a worthy example to his comrades. Speaking of him in a recent skirmish, one writes the following incident:
‘Lathrop and Finch were standing side by side loading their guns. Not far in advance of them stood a great, powerful looking rebel sharpshooter, also loading his piece. Lathrop saw him, and tapping Finch on the shoulder said, pointing: “There stands a tolerably large man,” and deliberately drawing his gun to his shoulder, fired. Suffice it to say that the traitor never finished loading his gun. Lathrop turned coolly around and remarked: “Mr. Finch, I think I hurt that man, but it can’t be helped now.” ‘
