An Iowa Officer on the Atlanta Campaign

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/28/2005

A great war-date Union soldier's letter outlining his regiment's activity during the Atlanta Campaign, written in period ink by 2nd Lieut. John Hawthorn, Co. F, 9th Iowa Vols. "Camp 9th Iowa, East Point, Ga. Sept. 26, 1864", to his niece, reading, in part: "…our Regt & A. C. has been on the move 133 days…we have been in the front line & under fire of the Rebs 81 days & have helped fight 13 different & distinct battles…one…25 days long. We started 1st day of May from Woodville 589 strong & when we came into camp here on the 10th of Sept we numbered but 331. We have…lost 1 officer killed, 3 wounded [one] our Col. [David Carskaddon WIA Battle of Atlanta July 29, 1864]…over 100 men killed & wounded [with] 13 taken prisoners on May 27th at Dallas, Ga. Over 30 have died of disease, 2 of sunstroke…new recruits…are coming up to us now…for the fall campaign. Yesterday 112 non veterans [were] mustered out…now we are very much reduced…we…fought the Rebs…inch by inch…from Tunnel Hill…to Dalton, Resaca, Calhoun Ferry…Pine Mountain, Big Shanty, Kennesaw Mountain…towards Atlanta on east 20, 21, 22 [&] Peach Tree Creek on west…we made the flank move to the right [&] cut the Montgomery RR…drove the Rebs 6 miles with three sharp little fights & at night had them in their works near Jonesboro 22 miles south of Atlanta…two days of hard fighting [occurred] but we broke their army in two…near Rough & Ready station taking over 2000 prisoners [&] 14 guns on eve of Sept. 1st. Drove them thru Jonesboro [on the] 2nd…on the 7th we began to fall back slowly…we have given the Rebs several good kills…we got a report…that Grant himself was mortally wounded that would be an awful blow to the army. We…fear…for [the government's] taking our Genl away from us [to replace Grant]…to loose Sherman would cut us up bad tho we have a Thomas, a Howard & then…John A. Logan who is a trump…& says the best way to end the Rebellion is to kill every Reb north or south…on the 28th July when the Rebs were charging our lines charge after charge [Logan was] riding along our lines. He said…hold your fire till they get up snug & then kill them all. D__n them. Kill every mother's son of them. That's the way to end the rebellion…we hope to enrich their soil with their carcasses as at Decatur & Ezra Church where we buried…in front of our own A.C. 2400. In front of the 55th Ill. they buried 209 in 2 trenches 98 & 111. In our front we buried 97. One Col. One Maj. 6 Capts. & 11 Lieuts. They seemed determined on death or whipping us as Hood told them the 15th A.C. was never whipped & it remained for them to do it or all was lost…the 15th A.C. still remains unwhipped…the Rebs are playing hot with our hardtack line…they entered Marietta torn up track, burned lots of supplies…carrying off…a lot of our sick boys…one Divis of our Corps & one battery have gone out there to attend to their cases…may the whole Union follow…& put Lincoln & Johnson in the chairs of state…I feel that I am getting old to sleep in mud, & wet, & cold…". The letter has been edited for clarity, and is signed as "your Uncle John". Enlisting as a sergeant in 1861 at the age of 43 years old. Hawthorn rose through the ranks to 2nd lieutenant by 1863. He survived the war being mustered out of the service Dec. 31, 1864. Usual folds, else very good.

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