Dear Father and Mother,
It is with pleasure that I seat myself to write you a few lines and let you know that I am still in the land
and among the living, hoping cincerely that these few badly written lines say find you well and
hearty and in a prosperous condition. Well, I have not heard from you all cince the last of September,
though I am looking for George_____ land back at the regiment now every day and I hope to
recieve intelligence straight from the lips of each of you, as He promised to bring me a letter from
each of you separtely, and also I told her to tell Mother to send me two pair of socks for I know that
one pair of her socks would last longer than three pair of government socks. I have thought
I would probably get to come home sometime before the war ended, but it looks like a poor chance now for
we will start from this place tomorrow I expect. I guess we will go to Chattannoga, before we stop for any length of time.
It looks like the western army has been doomed to shed her most precious blood on both the hills
of the west adn the valley's of the east. She has already lost her blood for hte western states and
now must march hundreds of miles and then do what the eastern army would have done long ago. It seems
to me like the western boys can do better fighting than the eastern boys, or at least they have won more laurels for themselves.
I can tell you something about the 15th reg. of the United States regulars who were attacked between
Memphis and Cornith, by the Miss. regiments and two Texas reg. or old Ben Muccococha? old rebel
soldiers. All told about twenty five hundred rebs and theirs numbered about 600 men and them in the cars.
The rebels ran out of the timber on them and fired heavy volley of musketry into the cars. The
colonel soon had his men out of the cars on the opposite, and luckely old Gen. Sherman were in
company with his staff guard who give the 15th Mo some assistance in the fight and Gen. Sherman being
an old soldier, he arranged his hand full of men and opened on the rebs and fit them for five hours
holding every inch of his ground at the expiration of that time. One regiment of our menwho had been
stationed back at the railroad came up and assisted Gen. Sherman and his few gallant boys and
soon the rebs had to get out of the palce for it were getting too hot for them. Our loss does not
exceed twenty five men in killed and wounded. The enemy lost much greater and that is the way our
boys do at work for the rebs. We have not met rebs at any point since last winter but we whipped them
clear out and I hope we will remain such successful throughout the war.
CHICAMANGA RIVER STATE OF GEORGIA
NOVEMBER 28, 1863
Dear Father and Mother,
It is with the greatest pleasure that I seat myself to drop you a few lines. May find you all well and
healthy. I am happy to inform you that I am pleased to think that the Lord has spared me through the
battles of last Tuesday and Wednesday. My regiment were in front of skirmishing. It were a tremendous
hard fight for the rebels were on LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN and held a strong position along what is
called MISSION RIDGE and besides that they had the mountains fortified. The enemy's front were
about six miles long and had breastworks all along the line and we had to face thie cannon in a heap
of places where we could not bring our cannon to bear on the enemy on the account of the height of
the mountains. Consequently our infantry had to face the enemy cannon and fight their infantry and
climb the steep Rocky Mountains. Also well our brigade had the honor of taking LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN and the
one brigade of rebs and the second day our division took another brigade on MISSION RIDGE and
before sundown the second day the enemy were running in all directions. We gave Old Bragg and
Buckner a good thrashing and took about ten thousand prisoners and a good many cannon. And Thursday
morning we started after the enemy and ran them out of here about RINGOLD GEORGIA and
there Bragg made another stand yesterday and we whipped them again and took four more pieces of cannon
and more prisoners and ran them out again. Our lost a good many in the BATTLE OF RINGOLD.
The 27th Reg. of MO got shut out of being in the BATTLE OF RINGOLD of Gen. Osterhaus left us here at
Chicamanga River to guard a bridge concequently we were not in the last days fight. Our brigade lost
considerable of men yesterdays fight including comissioned officers. Our brigade hadto do nearly
all the big at the BATTLE OF RINGOLD and that is the reason they got cut to pieces, so Thank God
we whipped them at both places.
Well, I will have to close my short letter for it is getting late. I should not have written as soon but
I thought I would write a few lines to let you know that I were still safe. My regiment lost twelve
men killed and wounded nine.
Send my best love and compliments to you all. Well Mary I received your and Winny's letters and I shall
answer it.
This is rebel paper captured on MISSION RIDGE near Chattonoga.
Remain your son and brother till death.
S.J. Shoush
William and Sussan Shoush
Macon City, MO
