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to his mother
near Vicksburg, Mississippi - January 3, 1863
Published in the Holmes County Farmer, January 29, 1863
This is a letter from Capt. Richard W. Tanneyhill, captain of Company E, written to his mother back home in Ohio. Tanneyhill wrote the letter just two days after the regiment's worst disaster at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou and informs his mother that her son and member of Tanneyhill's Company, William, is missing in action.
The letter was provided by website contributor Paul Doty, 2nd great grandson of Pvt. Joseph Christopher, Company B.
Richard W. Tanneyhill
William B. Tanneyhill
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Letter from Capt. Tanneyhill MILLIKEN'S BEND, NEAR VICKSBURG,
Mrs. E. A. TANNEYHILL--Dear Mother I have sorrowful news for you. In the engagement at Vicksburg, the 16th made a charge upon a fortification, in which we lost from my company 21 missing, and 5 wounded. William is among the missing, and also Rezin Vorhes. I think they are prisoners. DeCourcey refused to order the charge, and told Morgan to order it himself. The loss of the regiment is 13 killed, 69 wounded, and 149 missing, among whom are 2 officers wounded and 12 missing. The regiment 315 men fit for duty. I have command of the regiment. I was not in charge, for the reason that both of my eyes were nearly shut with the erysipelas. I was present on the field. The 16th has won a name by its bravery and daring in this action that may well be envied. They charged for half a mile, over fallen timber, under the fire of 40 pieces of artillery (30 of which were grape and canister and 10 shell) and 2,000 musketry. The Rebels waved their handkerchiefs for the boys to come forward and give themselves up. They even had become sick of slaughtering us. It was nothing else but a slaughter pen, and as such General Morgan will have to answer for it. I am well. Your affectionate son, RICHARD |
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