[Backtracking. We are now in rolled-up letter territory, overlapping all the other letters from 1862 that have been previously posted. This letter comes after the one from January 12, 1862.

A bit of pages 1-2 has been torn out, but it doesn’t seem to be on purpose as it was in this one. The missing words are indicated by brackets.]

Tuesday Evening Jany 24 62.

Banks Tennessee River 60 Miles from Paduca

My Dear Annie

Here I am in Tennessee and in camp on the River Bank. we [] here about an hour ago after as hard [] as I ever had the pleasure of seeing [] + ever want to see again. We l[] Paducah on last Wednesday and [] two days got along very w[] Roads were good and the wea[] cold. on the third day it comm[]ced raining and all that day it poured down a little harder than ever I saw it before. The Roads became so bad that it was nearly impossible for our Waggon Trains to get along. We only succeeded in getting a mile ion that day and that only after very hard work. Just imagine yourself wading through the mud [p2] three feet deep and plunging through streams when the Water would come up to your Neck and then you will have in your mind what we have come through. At one place we had to stop and build a Bridge to cross a Stream. it was raining very hard and the stream was raising very fa[] we had got about half of our []int across when the Water [] of the bridge and drowned [] of our horses. We had the [] trouble in getting along our p[] Train, for in some places the Horses + Wagons would go down in the Mud very nearly out of sight, and then we would have to get about five hundred men to pry them out.

Our Paducah force consists of about Eight Thousand Men and we expect to be found to morrow by Gen Grant from Cairo with [p3] twelve or fifteen thousand more. We expect to attack Fort Henry which is ten Miles from here on the River and contains about Fifteen Thousand rebels. This place is an old United States fort and is very strongly fortified and I suppose we will have some strong fighting to take it. After we take it I think we will probably go on to Nashville which is about one hundred Miles from here. After going through all the fatigue and exposure of the last week, I still enjoy excellent health, and am troubled with nothing but sore feet which are nearly worn out with our long Marches. We generally march Fifteen Miles a day start about eight in the morning and pitch our Tents about Five in the Evening. we get nothing [p4] to eat but Hard Bread and fat Bacon, and Coffee to drink. The nights are pretty cold and we suffer some with the cold and very often have to go out of our Tents along in the Nights and wrap a Blanket aroundusme and lay down by the camp fire.

I am going to send this down to Paducah on a Boat which leaves here to Night, and am uncertain whether it will ever reach you. I wish you would write me every week and direct to Paducah and they will be forwarded to me whenever there is a chance to send it. I will write you as often as I can find a way to get it forwarded to a Town where there is a Post office. Do not forget dear Annie to write me and believe me ever yours. I often think of you and wish I could see you and hope I may soon

Yours forever DPGrier

[Enclosures have been lost. We have an awful lot of newspaper clippings in the files but I haven’t located the one to which he refers at the end of the letter.

Although during most of the war DPG was in the 77th Illinois, for the first year or so he was a captain in the 8th Missouri, which is the regiment he is in at the time of this letter. The 8th MO were a Zouave regiment, known for their fabulous uniforms, which might explain why they have their own dedicated reenactment group.]

Fort Henry Tenn Feb 20 1862

Tuesday Evening

My Dear Annie

Your Letter of the 11^th did not reach me until yesterday owing I suppose to all the Boats being occupied in transporting Troops up and down the River. I wrote you a few days since giving you a few of the particulars of our battle at Fort Donelson, so that in this letter I shall say nothing about it, as I have become very tired of hearing any thing connected with it, as the subject of conversation here is about nothing else, and every one has to tell how near he came being shot and how many Bullets he saw flying around him, so that at last when any one would say any thing to me about it, I generally [p2] told them it was a great pity that some of the numerous Balls did not hit him. In Paducah they had great rejoicings over the bravery of the 8^th Mo {as we were a favorite Reg there} and I understand they had a full account of our great battle in Rhyme.

I have not seen it but suppose it would fully equal the great production I sent you. I must say I was surprised to think that you suspected that I had written it. Why I never tried to get two lines to rhyme in my life and if I did try and did not succeed better than that I should certainly never after wish to try again. We have been expected to receive orders every day to remove to Nashville, but we heard to day that the City was occupied by our Troops without any fighting. so that probably we will not be sent there. we are now expecting [p3] to be sent down to Florence Alabama this place is about two hundred miles from here on this River. I understand this it is a beautiful little City and I should like very much to be stationed there although it is getting a good ways from home, and pretty far South for Warm Weather, which will soon be on us. Every one here thinks that this war will close inside of three months as the Rebels are getting so well thrashed on every side, especially in this state.

I do really hope that it will soon very soon close, as I should like above all things to get home again and to stay. I will assure you I will not enlist again especially as long as I have such attractions there as I now have. You I love above all others, and I never will leave you again if it is my fortune [p4] to get through this war safe. I had no idea before I went into a battle how I should feel during one, and I find it hard now to describe my feelings. – when the Bullets were flying the fastest, of one thing I am certain I did not feel the least fear and was not in the least excited. I gave my commands to my men in as firm a voice as when on Parade and such a thing as getting shot never entered my mind. sometimes when a Cannon Ball or a Bomb Shell would pass over my head, the peculiar whizzing noise would cause me to dodge down my head. This is impossible for any man to avoid for it is perfectly natural for any one to do so. At first I commenced dodging the Musket Balls, but I soon gave this up, for they came so thick and fast, that one had no chance to move his head in any direction. I had a firm feeling during most of the engagement that I was not going to be killed, although I saw a great [p5] many fall around me never to rise again. After we had won the battle and had driven the enemy from the Hill, then I commenced feeling a little excited and considerable nervous and I must confess a little scared, for I then had time to realize what I had come through and how wonderfully my life had been preserved, where one would suppose it would be impossible for a person to come through unharmed, for the Trees + ground on the side of the Hill up which we advanced were full of balls, and a person could hardly find a place to lay your hand where a ball had not struck. Well here I am talking again about the battle when I had agreed not to say a word about it, but I thought I would tell you what my [p6] feelings were during the engagement and I came very near giving you a full description of the whole thing.

One thing I do Know, while we were in the hottest of the fight my mind would wander to Peoria and to you, and I Know if it is my fate to be Killed in any of these actions my last thoughts shall be of you, and the last word spoken shall be your name. From your accounts you must be having gay times this Winter in Peoria attending Fairs Suppers +C. I certainly should like to have been with you at the Ladies Aid Societys Supper. I have no doubt I should have been well supplied with Ice Cream. I often look back with pleasure on the pleasant times we had while I was last in Peoria, and hope the time is not far distant when we can again repeat it

[p7] Our Colonel informed me to day that he had written a letter to the Peoria Transcript a few days ago speaking of Capt Swanhout and of the Soldiers from Peoria County that was in the Regiment.

I should like to have seen what he said, for he is a man that does not often give his views to the Public, and I should like to Know what he thinks of us.

If the paper publishes his communication fold it up and send it to me by mail. It is now getting rather late so I will bring this tedious letter to a close. Do write soon and oftener than you have been writing

I recd a letter from Rose yesterday in answer to mine, she says she forgives me and is rejoiced to call me friend +C. and hopes all the past is forgotten. Write very soon Good Night

Yours forever D.P. Grier

[I haven’t been able to find much out about Rose Stettinius, although she appears in a couple of letters. It’s my impression that she and DPG had some sort of relationship and that he may have thrown her over for Anna. The only Rose Stettinius I have been able to find is Rose Stettinius Gray, wife of John B. Gray, the dates of whose published diary are plausible enough to make her the person referred to here, but I don’t have any more evidence than that.]

Fort Henry Tennessee

Feb 9 1862 Sunday Morning

Dear Annie

As there is a Boat going to Cairo this morning I thought I would drop you a few lines and inform you that I was still alive after the Battle of Fort Henry. Our forces left Paducah last Wednesday Morning Eight Thousand strong, and landed four miles below here, where we found twelve thousand from Cairo. The latter forces landed on one side of the River and we landed on the other. The Gun Boats commenced bombarding the Fort before we arrived and after one hours hard cannonading captured the Fort. The Rebels fled [p2] and left every thing behind. They had six or seven Thousand in the front and about four thousand on the opposite side of the River. Part of our forces pursued and captured the General [Lloyd Tilghman] and his Staff and about one hundred + fifty prisoners. The Cairo forces are still on the Pursuit and we expect they will take Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River to day. The Paducah forces occupy the two forts here for the present. How long we will remain I can not tell. Various rumors are afloat as to our destination, but how many of them are true is not Known. Fort Henry after the Bombardment was rather a hard looking sight. The walls were all battered to pieces, and [p3] dead men lay scattered around in every direction. Some were minus a head while others were cut to pieces by Cannon Balls. It certainly was the hardest sight I have ever seen. When we came into their camp we found that they had run of in such a big hurry that they had left every thing behind. in some places we found their diners Dinners still on the fires cooking, and letters partly finished. we certainly had a great victory. I wish you would write me some direct to Paducah and all Letters will be forwarded. And [5 words illegible], how long it will be before I shall see you again

[p4] D.P.G.

P.S. The day before I left Paducah I read your Letter. I also wrote a few lines to Rose Stett[inius] thanking her for the Trusts [?], and begging her pardon, for all I had ever said or done injuring her.

D.P.G.

[P.S. Check out that Army stationery! This is also one of the few letters written in pencil.]