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Arrival at Camp Lindsey
Camp Lindsey in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Miller has just recently arrived at camp and is impatiently awaiting the arrival of the rest of the troops to show up so that they can begin to march down to Georgia the following day. It's been raining an awful lot and the ground is terribly muddy. Miller wrote to his father asking about their Christmas and saying that his wasn't good because he had to do guard duty, and he wasn't too fond of doing so. -
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John Miller in the Civil War
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Suffering from measles
Camp Lindsey in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Miller’s camp is suffering from the measles and still hasn’t been moved down to Georgia. He tells his family to send him a box of beef, chicken, butter, and bread by Adams Express which shouldn’t cost more than 50 cents. -
March to Camp Carrington
Camp Carrington in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Miller and the other men in his regiment were marched to Indianapolis last Tuesday and then marched to Camp Carrington. He was made Corporal as well as Newt Matkin. They are joined by the 31st Regt. -
March to Lawrenceburg
Greensburg, Indiana.
They receive orders to march down to Lawrenceburg, Indiana and then they will take a boat to Lewisburg. Miller believes that they will either go to Chattanooga or Cumberland Gap, though he hopes that they'll go to Chattanooga. -
Arrival at Louisville, Kentucky
Camp Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.
Left Greensburg last Friday for Lawrenceburg and took a boat to Louisville. Arrived at Louisville at around noon the next day. No Major has been assigned yet but they do have one of the best Colonels. McChriston and first rate Lieutenant Colonel Collen. Miller believes that might be headed for Nashville or Chattanooga. Miller was paid 13 dollars. -
Fortifications of Nashville
Camp near Nashville, Tennessee.
Marched 185 miles from Louisville to Nashville and arrived in 33 hours. Miller writes to his father, telling him that his health is excellent. The fortifications around the city of Nashville is strong and that it is strongly fortified. John Matson, John Williams, Bob Williamson, John Goddard, Emit Goddard, and Miller spliced, or combined, their tents and bunks together. Miller’s having a splendid time, but wants to engage in conflict as soon as possible. -
The second Brigade of General Hovey's Division
Camp near Nashville, Tennessee.
They will leave for Knoxville the following day. Miller and his group have been Brigaded, though the division has not yet been given a number. They’re the 2nd Brigade of General Hovey’s division. Miller supposes that they will first go by railroad to Chattanooga and then march to Knoxville. -
The march to Loudon
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The 2nd Brigade have been marching for sixteen days. Their destination is Loudon, Tennessee. Miller believes that it is probable that they will have some fighting to do on the way there. Miller and another one of the members of his Brigade slowed behind, slipped past the rear guard, and began taking the railroad on their own path. They stopped at different camps, ate their fill, and made it back to their boys sometime in the night. -
Caught by the Rebels
Camp in a field near Atlanta, Georgia
Their division is divided for half of them are caught between the rebels and Atlanta, cutting them off from communication. They are driving the rebels eastward. On the way to Atlanta, they fired some shots along Buzzard Roost in Cataloochee, North Carolina and have been firing along the Snake Creek Gap in Asheville, North Carolina and Resaca, Georgia. -
Rations and attacks by rebels
Near Marietta, Georgia.
It hasn’t rained in three days and it’s stifling hot. The Brigade’s on rations now and in the past 36 hours, Miller hasn’t consumed anything besides a few green apples and a cup of coffee. On the seventeenth of June, they attacked rebel lines and drove them three miles back. On the twenty second, they were attacked by the rebels but the rebels quickly retreated back to their side. In the two charges the rebels have made so far, the rebels lost 5000-6000 men. -
Tom, Willie, Joe, and the fall election.
Near Atlanta, Georgia.
The soldiers all believe that the voters will be sent home for the fall election, including the high ranking officers. Willie Matkin went with Joe to the hospital. Joe has been sent home by now and Willie might still be at the hospital. Tom Anderson was wounded on July 28th and has supposedly been sent home. There are only seven officers in the regiment now. -
Hardtack
Decatur, Georgia.
The weather has finally cleared up after a heavy rain and Miller’s regiment received soft bread instead of hardtack, which is a cracker or biscuit made with flour, water, and sometimes salt. It was definitely a special occasion because of this. Lincoln may order them home but Miller believes it to be extremely doubtful. -
Beware the Draft!
Decatur, Georgia.
Three or four of the men that are in the same company as Miller are being furloughed, or sent home because they are sick. He tells his father that according to John Matson who got a letter from his father that John and Wes Gilmore got drafted and should Boone get drafted, to not get homesick, for Miller has seen more than one person die of homesickness since he's joined the fight. -
Inflating Prices
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Marched out of Decatur, Georgia on October 4 and have marched roughly 350 miles through Georgia and Alabama ever since. Miller reached Chattanooga on November 4 and believes that they will march towards Nashville next. Prices have gone up, seeing how he had to pay $1.50 for a small coffee pot, $1.25 for a frying pan, 75 cents a pound for butter, 60 cents a pound for cheese, $2.00 a half can for oysters, and 25 cents for apples. -
Duck River
Nashville, Tennessee.
While in Columbia, the rebels advanced upon them. Miller and his Company hunkered down in Duck River Spring Hill, Tennessee. When Miller’s part of the army fell back to Franklin, they were cut off from everybody else. To get back, they marched around the rear of the rebels, 2 miles within their camp fires. When they arrived at Big Harper River, they knew that they were safe. The next day they arrived at Nashville, Tennessee. -
Rain, guns, and gloves
Nashville, Tennessee.
It’s rained for nearly two weeks and the ground is terribly muddy. Miller suspects that they might start marching to Kentucky soon, also he expects to get paid very soon, too. The rebels are still hanging around, but nothing of importance has taken place yet. Miller asks his father to send him a pair of gloves because according to him it is rather cold to handle a gun with bare hands. -
Christmas Eve
Columbia, Tennessee.
Miller writes a letter to his younger brother, Preston, and tells him to eat plenty of food for him tomorrow, Christmas, seeing how he himself could eat about a bushel. He also congratulates Preston for doing good in school and Miller tells him to ask his sisters to write as well. -
Hard Knocks
Camp near Washington DC.
Miller believes that their next destination will be Wilmington, North Carolina for their next campaign. Miller also thinks that negotiation cannot win the war. Only with one side facing extreme hard knocks, or misfortune, can a war be won. He writes to his father and tells him of his excellent health. -
Fort Anderson
Fort Anderson, North Carolina.
Sixteen miles away from Wilmington, North Carolina.
Miller and his men marched from Washington DC to Alexandria, Virginia then took the steamer Therman Livingston to reach Smithville, North Carolina before going eight miles up river to reach Fort Anderson. Miller got a little sea sick on the way, but is now better. -
Fifty shots fired
Camp near near Kinston, North Carolina
Miller was in two battles the previous week. In the first one, the rebels attacked and took lots of prisoners. Miller fired fifty shots from less than three hundred yards. Four days ago, the second battle, the rebels attacked but were severely defeated because even though they had the numbers, Miller and his company had just been reinforced and were ready to advance. -
Foraging and the effects of war
Camp near Senior Institute, North Carolina, eight miles west of Kinston, North Carolina.
Miller’s company has had to forage for their food for a while as they were running out but now they’re doing just fine. They’ve found ham, chickens, sweet potatoes, and molasses. Miller
discusses the excitement of battle and how he loves his profession, but would never want his own home state, Indiana, to feel the effects of war. -
No more troubles for North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina.
Miller and his group left Raleigh on the third of May for Greensboro, traveling eighty miles. Miller believes that their next move will be to head towards Charlotte, North Carolina, and later, towards home. The rebels have been defeated and North Carolina shouldn’t have anymore problems with them. Miller also asked his father to send him $5 for more writing materials. -
Slavery’s been abolished
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Miller received a letter from his father, including the $5 he requested. He spent part of it on soft bread which he ate for dinner. There’s no hope for Miller of coming home until the fall. People in the South aren’t used to slavery being abolished even though it now is, they down right hate it. John Matson is cooking some beans for their dinner which they will soon be eating. -
Furlough to Greencastle, Indiana?
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Miller sends a letter to his father, stating that his health is excellent and to send him two to four books of his choice. A year ago, he was drinking six or more pints of coffee a day, now he trades his coffee for vegetables as food is hard to come by. Newt Matkin has been granted leave of absence and his father should expect him soon. Miller may get a furlough in September or October and cannot wait to come home to Greencastle, Indiana.
