Veterans column: 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry marches from Tennessee River to Purdy
The next letter from Levi Coman is dated April 29, 1862. Coman, along with the 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, marched with their division from the camp at Pittsburg Landing toward Purdy, Tennessee. Coman thinks they were there to assist the cavalry in capturing a railway line west of Purdy. He mentions a map for Mattie to look at, but if he enclosed one, it no longer exists. After the division marched about 8 miles, it stopped at the small town of Statonville.
“Dear Mattie, yesterday just as I finished my letter to you came an order to put three days rations in our haversack and formed for march immediately. Of course, we did so and were marched out here on the road to Purdy about eight miles. We have Wallace’s whole division here with some 1600 cavalry. We were drawn up in line and ordered to bivouac for the night. The Col., Lt. Col., Maj., Chaplain, Dr. Pierce & I sought the shelter of a log apothecary shop. It was well we did so, for about 10 o’clock came on a heavy rain which continued all night. It is curious that all our movements should be followed by rain. The doctor had evidently left in a hurry. I first entered and took possession, built a fire for supper and invited our general to make it his headquarters. I found the doctor's card lying on the table, on which he had written, ‘I am an Odd Fellow and a Mason’ but if he had added, also ‘a loyal man’ his property would have been better than any bonds of masonry could effect. Poor fellow, he will find that the Yankees rummaged his premises thoroughly. Just across the (road) a man and his family are living perfectly uninterrupted, although it was fun to see the man chase up all the chickens around here.
Veterans column: Levi Coman writes of taking quinine and brandy in the sultry South
“It is now near 2 o’clock. We are still in the position where we stopped last night. No one in our brigade knows what we are (illegible) here nor where we go. We have occasional cannonading away off toward the Corinth road. I can only guess that a force is being pushed forward on the central Corinth road. How far they will or can go I can’t guess. Our cavalry has gone on before us toward Purdy in full strength. We may be here merely to support them in a dash at the railroad which passes Purdy as you can see by the map. A dispatch has just been received here announcing the taking of New Orleans. This delights us. We would like to have the savor of a victory at Yorktown & Richmond go with us in our attack on Corinth. It would cheer our army wonderfully. You see I carry your paper & envelopes in my pocket always ready. I will tell you the upshot of this movement before I enclose this sheet.”
Doug Stout is the Licking County Library local history coordinator. You may contact him at 740.349.5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Veterans column: 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry marches through Tennessee
