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THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN Decatur, Alabama, May 1, 1864 Co. G., 25th Wis. Dear Parents: The march toward Chattanooga began this morning. The order came last night, after an all day’s rain to strike tents this morning and be ready at sunrise to march. This means our entire brigade. The enemy’s guns that had been pounding away at us for nearly a week were silenced by our batteries two days ago and since then there has been no excitement till the marching order came last night. Rations for three days were given each man which about filled our haversacks. Then at roll call we were told what was expected of us. That we were to join a large army that Sherman was collecting at Chattanooga and that we were to begin a hundred and fifty mile march toward Chattanooga the next day. The boys cheered and said they were glad to go anywhere for a change. We crossed the Tennessee river on pontoons and marched toward Moresville, our old camp. The mud was from three to six inches deep and fearful sticky. Marched about 12 miles and came into camp just as the sun went below the mountains. Our camp is on the grassy bank of a pretty river. I don’t know it’s name. It has been hot and muggy and the hard work of plodding thru the mud has tuckered me a little. I have just come from the river where I had a good wash. Lots of the boys threw away their blankets and winter underwear. Dan Hadley, who is cook for our mess of four, has called to supper so I must quit for to-night. May 2nd:—The reveille roused us this morning before sunrise and a crowd of negroes that had come into camp to look at the Yankee soldiers began singing some plantation songs for the boys. They have a banjo and I tell you they can play it and dance too. I have washed in the river this morning and while Dan and Obe build the fire, fry the hard tack and sow belly, and boil the coffee I am writing a line or two on this heavy sheet torn from a merchant’s ledger in Decatur. It’s hard to get paper to write on. On the other side you will see a list of things sold by the merchant to Bill Parker’s nigger George back in 1858. “Nigger George” was a slave. 7 o’clock p. m. We made several halts today to rest but the ground was so wet we couldn’t lay down without our rubbers under us. A regiment of cavalry passed us as we halted this forenoon and all seemed to be so jolly I wished for a while I was in the cavalry so I wouldn’t blister my feet marching. Came into Huntsville, Alabama, just at sunset, having marched 18 miles. A lot of the boys are crippling around with sore feet. I am washing mine three times a day in cold water which helps them. There is a lot of troops gathered here all destined for Chattanooga. Camp fires are blazing everywhere. Fences, boxes, old buildings and every movable thing is picked up and pulled down to make fires. It looks tough to burn up nice picket fences, but the boys must have fires to cook by. Hd. Quarters, 25th Wis. Vol. Huntsville, Alabama, May 3rd, 1864. Dear Mother: I think I sent you my last from this place. I am taking this from some scrawls in my note book. I got a letter from home this morning while waiting for orders to march. Am truly glad to hear that you are out of debt at last. It used to trouble me when I went in the field to hoe corn to think that you was in debt. It made my hoe feel heavy. We are on the march again thru pine forests and over mountains enroute for Chattanooga. Troops are coming in and swelling our force from all directions. We are passed every little while by cavalry on good-feeling horses, prancing along, and by four and six gun batteries, eight big horses to each gun, the cannoneers laughing and talking as they pound along in the cassions. The cannoneers have a snap on the road and today as I limped along on a blistered foot, I wished I could trade places with one of them. But I would...

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