Pittsburg Landing, 8 miles above Savannah
March 25th, 1862James,
I wrote to Leander this morning. I wrote nothing in it, and I have nothing to write to you. It is very warm and clear. We are camped about two miles from the landing and the same distance from the river. It is just such a place as the post oak flats, below Walnut Hill, only dryer ground and good spring water. The whole woods is full of troops. I have no idea how many, would guess between fifty and seventy thousand. But I expect you know nearer the number than we do. We even do not know who is in command. Some say Smith of Paducah, some say Grant is not, relieved or removed, but is in command here. We hear sometimes Island, so ten is ours and then hear that it is not. The fact is we know nothing. Two Union men came in this morning from Ala. with names of over one hundred Union men in their county wanting to come in for protection or accrue arms to protect themselves. I do not know what was done with them. Co. E. has thirty recruits from Louisiana and Ala. Mostly the latter. I believe our Reg could a been filled with Union men in here, and why it was not, I do not know. I did hear that orders came for the 11th not to recruit. Whether that is so or not, I do not know. I do know that the men in our Reg. was very much opposed to taking them in. They said Suckers or none and let Louisiana and Alabama make a Reg of their own. A quota may have been on the gun boats and Ohio Regs. I am of the opinion, enough to make a Reg. I do not think we will stay here long. Neither do I think we (11th Reg) will move far from this place, but we may start in the morning for Memphis, or keep right down through Alabama. But I do not think we will go much further south till Memphis is taken. I am very anxious for the pay car to come along. I am out of cash. It does not matter much as there is very little to buy. The natives bring in corn bread and a few chickens, but there is so many to buy that we hardly ever get any and when we do it is so awful high, we will not buy.
©2006 C.S. Parkinson
