Franklin County: Henry M. Erisman to His Brother,
March 12, 1862
Summary:
Erisman describes army life in Nashville. He also tells about skirmishes at the
picket line, including one involving a ruse by the rebels.
Brother
March the 12th 1862
Camp Andy Johnson Tennessee
Dear Brother
I now take this opportunity to inform you that I
am well at Present hoping that these few lines may find you and all the Rest of
the folks in the same state of health we are now laying about five miles south
of Nashville we got here on the 3rd Nashville is a pretty Place and it has the appearance of being a business Place at one time but business is suspended There now. all the stores and business shops are Closed and the City is deserted of nearly all its inhabitants except the
ladies and they are all secessionist and wear a secessionist flag for
Aprons and have a belt around their waists with an Ivory handled Colt Revolving
Pistol of the best quality sticking in it. Nashville and all the surrounding Country is secessionist and they don't try to hide it neither we were out on Picket
night before last and towards morning about time the
moon went down the left end of our
[page 2]
Picket Line was fired into by some
Rebel Cavalry there was about 300 of them in all but they stayed about 200 or
300 yards away from our Picket line with the
exceptions of 15 that dismounted and Came up to within hailing distance of our
Pickets they were 5 or 6 abreast as we Could judge for it was dark and the minute our Pickets [deleted: they fired] Challenged them they fired one volley and Retreated our men fired on them while they were Retreating
but with what effect we couldn't hear if there was any of them hurt they were taken along by their Comrades on our side there was nobody hurt but I must say they did some tall shooting
for random shooting Te only guide they had was the Direction the Pickets voice
Came and he came near being Put out two balls struck the fence one each side of
him but Captain Philips made the Narrowest Escape of all the upper band of his sword scabbard was shot
off one shot grazing the Back of his hand taking the skin off about an inch another struck about the
[page 3]
center of his scabbard
bending the sword & scabbard about 2 inches
out of Plumb while 3 Passed through his Coat tail the best Part of them being
Buckshot the Rebels Cartridges have three Buckshot & one rond Ball in
them they have attacked 3 times now the first they attacked the 30th
[added:
second
] out of our brigade - In stationing the Pickets 4 [deleted: go
on] goes on a Post 20 yards apart is the General Rule but the Indianna Boys were Placed
about 50 yards apart and the Rebels took advantage of the Distance and took 4 of
them off their Post in Broad day light and carried
them off as Prisoners and they have not got Back yet
either the way they managed to do it there was about 25 of them (Cavalry) rode up with about 30
yards of the Pickets taking care to keep behind a hill that the Pickets couldn't see them when one of
them dismounted and to hide suspicion he had on one
of our uniforms on so he got to the Pickets without much trouble and got talking
them awhile when he give a certain signal and as quick as lightning the Rebels
galloped up to
[page 4]
them dragged them on their
Horses and off with them it was done so quick that the rest of the Pickets didn't get a shot at them I tell
you they're as sharp as they make them these days the
next attack they made was on the First wisconsin killing one and wounding five
The wisconsin killed 3 of their men wounded 3 and some of the 29th Indiana Boys took one of them Prisoner he belonged to the First
Louisianna
Cavalry he is a bold looking fellow and he says he
don't give a damn whether
school keeps or not and he says if they let him go he will fight against the
Union Troops as hard as ever he says he won't be a
Prisoner 6 month he would be shot first. The next attack they made on us the
Particulars of which I have stated on the
other Page This morning about 3 o'clock there was
firing our Picket line again and at the same Place we were fired on yesterday
morning But I didn't hear how
they made out The 49th Ohio Relieved us yesterday about 4
o'clock in the afternoon and they will be relieved
by some other Regiment at the same time to day and I
won't Close this till I hear how the Ohioans made out with the secessionists They'll be in about 4 o'clock But I
don't think there was anything of any
