[Battle of St. Charles]. Civil War Soldier's Letters (3) by Joseph L. Chamberlain of the 46th Regiment Indiana Infantry. ...

Description

[Battle of St. Charles]. Civil War Soldier's Letters (3) by Joseph L. Chamberlain of the 46th Regiment Indiana Infantry. The first letter is six pages, four penned on 7 ¾ x 12 ¾ inch letterhead and two on 5 x 8 inch letterhead. It is written from St. Charles, Arkansas on June 21, 1862. A fine content letter describing the Battle of St. Charles, during which the 46th Regiment Indiana Infantry was sent to attack fortifications on land while two ironclads attacked the fort from the river. The 46th routed the Confederates on land and claimed position, and the battle was won by the Union in just four hours.

Chamberlain opens his letter with friendly greetings, then begins his narrative about the battle: "...we are waiting for another movement of the fleet, of the gallant old forty-sixth, which never fails in anything it attempts...The 46th has the pleasure of charging on & taking the batteries at St. Charles on the morning of 17th of June...We started from Memphis the morning of then 15th and went down to the mouth of white river in Arkansas...The rebels heard we were comeing, and they sunk 3 transport or passenger boats and one gun boat, but before sinking the gunboat they two of its best large rifles off...[text interrupted due to loss of portion of the letter]...On the morning of the 17th the firing commenced, by our gun boats. At first it was very irregular with intervals of about 10 minutes...Soon after that our regiment was landed on the south side of the river below where the enemies [sic] batteries were stationed. After forming a line of battle in the brush (which was a very difficult matter), Companies A. & B. were sent out, and deployed a line of skirmishers at spaces of 20 feet from man to man. The Company G. was picked as a main reserve for the skirmishers. The skirmishers advanced a little distance and soon came to the rebel pickets, upon which they fired. After advancing some farther, they saw the rebels bringing some artillery down the road. They fired some grape shot at us. Then they were ordered to retreat and rally on for the purpose of making a grand charge on the artillery. As we were waiting for it to appear, we heard one of the gunboats blowing off steam...Soon the word came that the Mound City (gunboat) had been blown up by a shot from the rebel guns, presently brisk firing commenced with small arms. The men in the gunboat had been scalded and had jumped into the river to keep from being burned to death...It was not long after the rifles were heard, then Colonel Fitch was heard bitterly cursing and damning them, and ordered skirmishers to deploy on double quick...he ordered...double quick time march at the same time with an oath for the rebel and told his men give them one round of lead and then, cold steel (which was the bayonet). Some of the rebels got the lead but didn't get the [sic] steel, they were too well-trained to run...[but] as soon as word came that the rebels were shooting our men in the river, they were mad enough to have done anything...they ran as fast as their officers would permit them and as caution would allow. As soon as the rebels saw us they left their batteries and ran for life. If they had not run they would have lost every man, for the regiment was so mad and vicious in that moment. When they cam to the first batteries, Co. A. charged with a yell, but the rebels ran through the brush and only a few was killed. we ran them past their upper canon and out through the town shooting them as fast they would come into view. After we had run them entirely out of town some one shot the commander of this post through the shoulder and breast and since then he died. He acknowledged that he had ordered his men to shoot our men in the water...There was not a man, woman or child to be found any place in town...After it was over Colonel [Fitch] said that Co. G. did not do as they should have done, and I am of his opinion myself, for when they started they was 200 yards in the rear of the skirmishers, and before they got through the town they were in advance of most of them. Captain Sill could not govern them atall. They ran too fast for him and when they could get too far he would command halt. He is very proud of the actions of the company. Fitch also gives them praise for their extreme well behavior...It was said by the gun boat men that it was a chain shot. We got 2 brass canon and 2 parrot guns (rifled) in one place, and...two large rifles...taken off the gun boat that was sunk. The boats were sunk to form a blockade, but our gunboat ran into them and mashed a way through...We went up the river about 5 miles on the evening of the 18th...The boat we are in is called the new national...one of the Captains of the boat swore he would kill some of the d-d sons of bitches yet for I am, not quite dead yet. He had been scalded badly, and the splinters of the boat had struck him on the head and his brains was hanging out & plain to be seen. Just bas he had finished his words he pulled off the gun. The ball passed through the wheel house, cut off one spoke 4 inches square, and through the inch siding and slats on the other side after it had cut two other spokes half off. Then passed through the upper edge of the engine sill about 16 inches solid oak then passed through at a square angle, striking another 4 inch post, & cut it off. The cut half of the large feed steampipe off and silvered up the side boards and passed out...none of the engineers were hurt...the next day after we left here our boats were fired on 5 or 6 times by guerillas along the river bank, two balls passed through the pilot house on the boat that IU was on. I was leaning against both times when they passed only one was shot from the side, the other from the rear as the boat was turning the bend. I emptied my gun three times to a good advantage..." Signed "J. L. Chamberlain."

The second letter is four pages, 7 ¾ x 9 ¾ inches, written from Osceola, Arkansas; April 23, 1862. A letter to his family in which Chamberlain details his regiment's recent activities. Chamberlain opens with greetings and news of his health and adds: "...The river is very high. It has washed away the levy in a god many places. Last evening the Colonel [Fitch] had it cut here, and let it out into a slew so they run [sic] the gun & mortar boats around through the wood and get behind Fort Pillow. There is men from there every day (deserters) and they all say there Is only about four thousand men in the fort. The rest is at Corinth...They say we had them shelled out of the fort once and could have went in, but we did not know it, we are waiting until Corinth battle is settled, so that when we get them out we can hold the fort. Yesterday about 100 men went out on a scouting expedition and killed one man and took 4 prisoners...We can hear the rebel drums almost every day when the wind is favorable. The best mortar we have here is a little one that only weight 17 ton. The shell (when loaded) weighs from 143 lbs to 148 lbs. it takes from 16 to 29 lbs. of powder at one charge to throw it...the hole in it is 18 inches in diameter...What a pretty little shotgun it would make to shoot wild chickens...We get no more news from Corinth, only camp news, and that is not to be trusted...These little envelopes that I send to the children is some that I found in Tiptonsville, Tennessee. They are some that the secesh left in a carpet sack...".

The third letter in the lot is four pages, 5 x 7 ½ inches, written from Helena on August 15, 1862. A letter to his family in which Chamberlain paints a clear picture of how the men spend th idle times between engagements. He pens in a tiny, precise hand "...Our regiment has not returned yet...We do not know how soon we will move...Our fleet of gun boats are laying here idol...The ferry boats have been engaged all day yesterday in bringing over captured property, such as horses, mules, wagons, cotton...together with hundreds of negroes who come to apply for their free papers. Our outline pickets have a little fun sometimes with the bushwhackers...I have not heard any of Uncle Sam's bull-dogs bark for a long time...I would like if you could hear them bark and growl as they did at Fort Pillow and at St. Charles..." Chamberlain then describes a military funeral, and the exorbitant prices of goods on the black market. He adds "...the Negroes are not scarce at all. General Courtis uses them for to drive teams and load wagons and do all such drudgery about the camp, which helps the army a great deal. One day there was eleven negroes found dead and piled up. Some of them was drowned, some killed with clubs, and some of them shot through the head or breast...Jackson Swisher of our company says he will kill every negro he can as long as they continue to free d-d black sons of bitches..."

Condition: Large sheets of the June 21, 1862 letter have marginal chipping and toning, and overall condition is fragile, with loss of an approximate 2 x 3 inches piece at left corner, resulting in loss of some text. Smaller sheet bears light staining throughout but very good. The other two letters have light wear and toning, but otherwise very good.

More Information: Joseph L. Chamberlain served in the 46th Regiment Indiana Infantry. He enlisted on November 5, 1861, commissioned Captain on December 14, 1864, and mustered out with his regiment on September 4, 1865. The unit saw action at numerous important engagements throughout the war. It embarked for the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg on May 13, 1863, and fought during the Battles of Port Gibson and Champion's Hill before making two assaults on the city itself, on May 19 and May 22, 1863. It then served in the siege lines until the Union occupation of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.