CIVIL WAR LETTER - 72nd Illilnois Infantry - Fight Hood's Army Spring Hill, TN !

Description

Civil War Letter
Civil War Letter by Soldier in the 72nd Illinois Infantry
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Roswell Henry Mason (1841-1915) of Chicago who enlisted on 21 August 1862 as a sergeant in
Co. A, 72nd Illinois Infantry.
In early June 1863, Mason was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant and was assigned to Co. A, 72nd Illinois Infantry two months later. A couple months later—on Christmas Day—received his commission as Captain of Co. A as “promised” him by Illinois Governor Yates. He mustered out of the regiment on 1 June 1865.
This letter was penned just five days before the 72nd Illinois fell into a severe skirmish with advance elements of Hood’s army at Spring Hill on the road between Columbia and Franklin, Tennessee. Falling back, the regiment participated in the bloody Battle of of Franklin during which they lost 9 of 16 officers engaged and 152 men either killed or wounded. Later they would fight again in the Battle of Spanish Fort near Mobile.
The letter was addressed to Merritt (“Batch”) P. Bachelor who had recently resigned his commission. He had joined the regiment in June 1863 as a 1st Lieutenant and served as Captain of Company A from 15 August 1863 to 26 October 1864.
A complete biographical sketch appears for Roswell on
Find-A-Grave
.
Transcription
Headquarters Co A., 72nd Illinois Infantry
Our Picket, Columbia, Tennessee
November 24th 1864
Batch,
Your papers arrived at the Regiment day before yesterday “honorably discharged.” [Lt. Col. Joseph] Stockton has said nothing to me as yet & I think intends to recommend [1st Lt. Charles D.] Beegle [of Co. G] for the vacancy. He will get fooled
much
for Gov. Yates has promised it to me. I suppose he will send you the papers but I thought that I would write that you know so you would feel “asy like.”
We’re having old Tallahatchie weather—mud, rain &c. No tents & short rations. As soon as your Ordnance papers arrive, I will send them as also Quartermaster’s certificate so that you can draw pay to date of receipt of discharge here—i.e. Nov 25th. Jim Smith saw the order so there’s no mistake about it. Write me & let me know whether Stockton sends you the papers.
We are expecting to move every hour. Have not been engaged yet but probably will be soon. The Scotch Pup sucks whiskey & grows valiant. 1
We are temporarily 3d Brig., 2nd Division, 23rd Army Corps. Let me hear from you as soon as possible. Smith wants to know whether you’d rather have the money for your coat or the coat. He will send either.
Yours &c., — Mason
Direct to Lieut. R. H. Mason, 72nd Illinois Infantry, Via Nashville
[annotated] R. H. Mason Nov 27 1864
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