DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Anson R. Butler letters, 1861-1900

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Anson R. Butler letters, 1861-1900

1862-11-19 Page 1

On Board Gladiator Nov 19th 1862 
My dear Wife
I closed my last very short as the boat was just putting out & I had to throw my letter on shore at last & get some one to direct it for me. Well we left as I said, only our fleet was 16 sail (including 3 gun boats) we went slow hardly faster than the current that day (Sunday) & met with no adventure it was a fine sight to see so many boats on after another about 30 rods apart our Quarters was partly in the cabin & on the left guard. very good Quarters. Had along 3 days rations in sack on our backs we left several sick behind. Haney, Pearson, Saxton, Betty, etc. and Otis Parks & Warren Calder who left us while we were lying on the bank at the landing at Helena after night and went back to camp. They were ordered to work on the fortifications till we got back as a punishment. Just as the boat was putting out from Helena, Patterson threw a gun (we did not want) on shore & missed his distance & it went down in 15 feet water. And first Monday morning rainy, from our lead gun boat fast on a sandbar & was so till 10 o'clock AM. then we were underway again. By the way, we were going down Mi. river all this time ----a little afternoon a negro on board said we would soon be opposite his old Massa's house. Soon we were, and a crowd of blacks on shore watching us. He knew them among them his Mother. He hollered good by Mam, with a trembling voice. She jumped clear off the ground with both hands up & yelled God Bless ye Dan, and kept her hands going up & down. Then he called others by name, all answered him. See no whites along here, all are blacks & they come out of the woods & Cane brakes all along and wave hats, arms, etc. at us. Near night tied up again. Patterson, Ben Bissell, Dennis Butterfield & others went up on shore to forage a little. brought in chickens, emptied a smoke house of bacon, killed a beef & confiscated a mule to haul it to the boat. Dennis Butterfield lost his Pistol on the trip. Tuesday morn found we were tied up some 4 miles above where we had landed at night. We had gone back to Montgomery's Point to land the Cavalry about 1200 in number. took some time to do it. while they were doing it Patterson took a squad on shore foraging again got some beef, sugar, molasses, pork, etc. though our Company did not get all of it. Here 6 negroes came on board, Patterson keeps one the rest are divided round for servants. after the cavalry wer unloaded we went back to the first landing at the mouth of White River Ark. then we were shipped on board this boat which with 4 other light Draft boats were to take us up White River some 15 miles & there march across some 20 miles to Arkansas Post on the Arkansas river where it is said there is a Rebel Fort with some 5 or 6,000 men. Well towards Evening we started up White River.

Saving...

On Board Gladiator Nov 19th 1862 My dear Wife I closed my last very short as the boat was just putting out & I had to throw my letter on shore at last & get some one to direct it for me. Well we left as I said, only our fleet was 16 sail (including 3 gun boats) we went slow hardly faster than the current that day (Sunday) & met with no adventure it was a fine sight to see so many boats on after another about 30 rods apart our Quarters was partly in the cabin & on the left guard. very good Quarters. Had along 3 days rations in sack on our backs we left several sick behind. Haney, Pearson, Saxton, Betty, etc. and Otis Parks & Warren Calder who left us while we were lying on the bank at the landing at Helena after night and went back to camp. They were ordered to work on the fortifications till we got back as a punishment. Just as the boat was putting out from Helena, Patterson threw a gun (we did not want) on shore & missed his distance & it went down in 15 feet water. And first Monday morning rainy, from our lead gun boat fast on a sandbar & was so till 10 o'clock AM. then we were underway again. By the way, we were going down Mi. river all this time ----a little afternoon a negro on board said we would soon be opposite his old Massa's house. Soon we were, and a crowd of blacks on shore watching us. He knew them among them his Mother. He hollered good by Mam, with a trembling voice. She jumped clear off the ground with both hands up & yelled God Bless ye Dan, and kept her hands going up & down. Then he called others by name, all answered him. See no whites along here, all are blacks & they come out of the woods & Cane brakes all along and wave hats, arms, etc. at us. Near night tied up again. Patterson, Ben Bissell, Dennis Butterfield & others went up on shore to forage a little. brought in chickens, emptied a smoke house of bacon, killed a beef & confiscated a mule to haul it to the boat. Dennis Butterfield lost his Pistol on the trip. Tuesday morn found we were tied up some 4 miles above where we had landed at night. We had gone back to Montgomery's Point to land the Cavalry about 1200 in number. took some time to do it. while they were doing it Patterson took a squad on shore foraging again got some beef, sugar, molasses, pork, etc. though our Company did not get all of it. Here 6 negroes came on board, Patterson keeps one the rest are divided round for servants. after the cavalry wer unloaded we went back to the first landing at the mouth of White River Ark. then we were shipped on board this boat which with 4 other light Draft boats were to take us up White River some 15 miles & there march across some 20 miles to Arkansas Post on the Arkansas river where it is said there is a Rebel Fort with some 5 or 6,000 men. Well towards Evening we started up White River.