Muscatine County, Iowa
Muscatine Journal & News-Tribune
Centennial Edition
31 May 1940

Section 6 - Page 9-11, Submitted by Shirley Plumb, May 29, 2012

Page 9
Letters Tell Valued Service Rendered
Aged Messages Tell Story of Valiant Group

Tinged with the yellowness of age, a packet of old letters which has been preserved here tells the graphic chapter-by-chapter story of army experiences, the hatred of the rebels, engendered by propaganda, the excitement of rumors of guerrilla activities and Union victories and the thrill of the last seeing “Dixie.”

Underlying is a current of worry over his son, also a Union soldier, and his wife and daughter carrying on the farm work and an always present nostalgia for the peaceful have of his home cornfields of Iowa.

Written by John Robison, of Port Louisa, Ia., the letters were addressed to his daughter, Sarah, afterwards Mrs. James Winder. His son, Thompson, whose wife had died shortly before, left his son, Wilford, aged 8, with the Stephens family, near Wapello, and went off to fight for his country.

John Robison, born in 1805 and a Mexican war veteran, was too old for service in the regular army but showed his loyalty to the union by joining the regiment known affectingly as the “Gray Bears,” but officially as the Thirty-Seventh Iowa Volunteers. The letters are the property of the writer’s great-great granddaughter, Mabel Bartenhagen, granddaughter of Wilford Reid Robison.

* * *

    Camp Strong,
    Nov. 8, 1862

    I landed in Muscatine Thursday morning at 1 o’clock. I stayed there till Thursday evening then I came to camp. I was in Muscatine yesterday and bought some paper and ink and pens. Tell your mother not to fret herself to death about me. I think I shall get along. If she was here and heard some of the men tell the situation they left their families in I do not think she would complain. There is a strong probability at this time that our regiment will be ordered to Washington city. Some say New York, some say Baltimore, but it is uncertain where we will be sent. Our fare is the same as the boys have at Keokuk. We have a good stove in our shanty.

    * * *

    Camp Strong,
    Nov. 9, 1862

    We had dress parade yesterday evening and there were more old gray bearded men than ever was seen at one time. I want you to tell the neighbors you see that I am well and well pleased with my officers. I think that they are the right stripe. When you write address direct to Camp Strong of Muscatine, care of Capt. Stover, 37th Regiment, Iowa Volunteers..

    * * *

    Camp Strong,
    Dec. 28, 1862

    We have our guns, knapsacks and everything else, and we have orders to leave here next Tuesday at 2 o’clock but where to I do not know, but I think it will be St. Louis. We may not leave so soon but you will soon get the word. I am detailed to stand guard today. It is now about 9 o’clock and I must go to my post in half an hour.

    * * *

    Benton Barracks, Mo.
    Jan. 2, 1863

    We left Camp Strong last Tuesday morning. We got on the cars at the camp and ran to Muscatine. A short distance above town three or four of the rear cars broke loose and we had to run back and hitch on. It was about 10 o’clock when we left town. We ran to Davenport and ate our dinner which was bread and meat handed to us in the cars. Then we started for Illinois, went to LaSalle. There we changed cars and came opposite St. Louis and landed there on Wednesday, a little after sundown and stayed all night in the cars.

    Then we all marched down to the river, went on board the ferry boat. We went on the boat that took us all across at one trip ad three two-horse teams. You can guess it was some boat. There were about 900 of Gray Beards. As soon as we landed we marched off and formed in line of battle and marched up here. All along the road the women were standing in the doors and waving their white handkerchiefs and the little girls, some of them would hollow, “Hurrah for the Iowa Gray Beards!” Every town that we passed through both sides of the road were lined with men, women, and children. This is a great military camp. It is quite a town. There is as much difference between Camp Strong and this camp for size, beauty and convenience as there is between the finest steamboat and the smallest skiff in the Port. I want you to write as soon as you get this and send me all the news you have of the 19th Regiment. I saw Hen Barcus yesterday and he said he heard Charlie Law was wounded in his leg and it had to be taken off. He said his lieutenant had a paper that listed the killed and wounded in the battle. He said he would get the paper if the man had it yet and fetch it to me, but I have not seen him since. He said it did not mention Thompson’s name from which I expect Thompson was not hurt.

    * * *

    Camp Schofield.
    St. Louis, Mo.,
    Jan. 9, 1863

    We are guarding sesesh prisoners in the McDowell cottage. There are 500 in it at this time. I was standing guard day before yesterday. My station was right in the building among the sesesh. They were a hard looking set of God’s creatures. I talked to some of them. Some had been in there five months. They say they are tired of the place and would give all they have if they could get out. Most of them were taken in Missouri as guerrillas. Our barracks are in town. They are very warm and comfortable. Our regiment has three prisons to guard. There are 200 men detailed for guard every day. Two of our men are sick in the hospital, one of them died last night.

    We left Benton Barracks last Monday morning and came to town. I expect we will stay here sometime. Last Sunday I saw Simon Buster, John Cark, and John Sprague in the hospital at Benton Barracks. They expect to be discharged. Buster has lost his speech but can whisper. Clark looks fat and hearty but Sprague looks very bad. I have not heard anything from the 19th yet. I want you to let me know if you have had any word in your next letter. There is great enquiry amongst this regiment, about the Battle of Vicksburg. There are a great many men have sons in that battle. There is scarcely one man in the 37th regiment but has one or more sons in the army. There is one man has sons, grandsons, and sons-in-law to the number of 15. I have been out in town two or three times since we came here. It is quite a large city. When we came in from Benton Barracks we came through one of the principal streets. It was lined on both sides with men, women, and children as thick as they could stand for one mile or more. It was the greatest animal show that was ever in St. Louis or ever will be.

    * * *

    Schofield Barracks.
    Jan. 15, 1863

    I was standing guard yesterday in the sesesh hospital. There are about 30 in it from the age of 16 to 60 years of age. They think their lot is a hard one. I think so too and so would you if you could see them, as I do. I was out through town this forenoon—I get to go out whenever I want too,, our officers are good to their men, all that behave themselves. We had orders last Sunday to march to Rolla but it was countermanded. They are talking of calling for 100 and 50 men out of our regiment to volunteer to go to Rolla. If they do I will go sure. I expect Thompson has been in another fight, but I am certain, but we will know in few days. We have two contrabands in our company, a woman and her son, a little curly headed boy not quite as big as Will. My station yesterday was in a house that is next to the prison. It is a Catholic schoolhouse and there are about 50 little boys going to school.

    Jan. 18th. A few minutes after I commenced this letter I was called on to go with a squad of …

(Continued on Page 10)

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    … seven men to guard a boat that was going to take about 125 soldiers to Memphis. We had to keep them from leaving the boat until it left. We started at 2 o’clock and got back at 9 o’clock at night. I see a list of the 19th that was killed and wounded at Prairie Grove. I expect you have had the news before this time.

    * * *

    Schofield Barracks.
    March 14, 1863

    I received a letter from Thompson day before yesterday dated March 1st. He is well. We just had our dinner. We had a good meal, bean soup, stewed dried apples, and peaches, rice, hominy, and molasses, cold ham and good bread. For breakfast we mostly have friend ham or beef, coffee, and tea, and sometimes bread and butter. We get our bread every day fresh from the bakers. We get plenty of sugar for our coffee and tea. There is a man by the name of K. D. Cranmor in our company, he and I buy one pint of milk every day for our coffee. The way we get it is every other day one of us gives him five cents and he gives us one pint of milk and a ticket, and then the next day we give him the ticket and he gives us a pint of milk and that way we are square, but that is not the way we get along with our liquor trade. We give them five cents and get one snort and that finishes the trade.

    * * *

    Schofield Barracks.
    April 12, 1863

    There was a big fire last Thursday within one square of our barracks. It was a stable, 10 head of horses were burnt in it, and three or four that was gotten out, but were badly burnt. We are looking for the paymaster to come around in a few days. I would like very much to see him soon as my pocket book has had the swany for some time, and if I don’t get some greenback soon I will have to do without my bitters, and you know that it will go pretty hard with the old man to go dry when it is so dusty. The women are very good to us old Gray Beards. They treat us sometimes to sweet cakes.

    April 16 – We had some rain yesterday and last night, enough to lay the dust. I with eleven other men were detailed to go down to the river day before yesterday to guard a lot of guns that were brought up from Memphis. There was a large pile of them, the largest that I ever saw in one pile. There were 15,000. They took off 14 wagon loads the evening that we went down. The balance they piled on the levee and I measured the pile and it made 20 cords. They were taken to the arsenal to be repaired. They had been gathered on the battlefields in Tennessee. There were a great many with the name of the men that had hauled them on the battlefield. There are thousands of those men’s bodies moulding in their bloody graves far, far from their homes. I had a letter from Thompson today dated April 7, and he was well and hearty. He says all the boys are well except Miner Townsand and he has a bad cold. John Fryer, he says, is their cook and is as fat as a bear.

    * * *

    Schofield Barracks.
    May 14, 1863

    I, with 24 other Gray Beards was detailed yesterday to guard 23 sesesh prisoners to Vicksburg. They were city seseh sympathizers. There were 10 women and 13 men. We got our duds pack up and marched down to the boat and they brought the prisoners on. I was standing guard on the hurricane deck and when the boat was ready to start there was a company of a Kansas regiment going to join their regiment at Vicksburg came aboard and we were discharged and came back home. We were very much disappointed. We may get to go down to Dixie yet. There is another lot to be sent off next Saturday and in all probability I will go with them.

    * * *

    St. Louis, Mo.
    May 27, 1863

    I have been away down in Dixie. With nine more Gray Beards I was detailed to guard a boat load of army stores to Helena, Ark. We started last Friday week and got back last evening. We had a nice trip and when we got back my company with five others had left for Franklin, Mo., to guard a railroad bridge. They left yesterday morning. The balance leaves tomorrow morning. I would have sent you a letter from Helena but it was so dark that I could not see to write with a candle in daylight on account there were so many Negroes. There were 3,000 in one camp, besides the town was chucked full of them. Franklin is 25 miles from here on the Pacific railroad. I think that we will not stay there long but will be back in our quarters in three or four weeks. We may have a fight with the seseshers out there. Well if we have a fight the Gray Beards will give them the best turn they have in the shop. I saw the sorriest sights in Helena, I ever did see. Nice houses and dooryards full of the most beautiful flowers that ever did grow and nobody living in them. There are but a few families living in town. I saw peaches as big as hen eggs, potatoes in blossom, corn, waist high. I was in market this morning and saw any quantity of nice strawberries that sell at fifteen cents per quart. I think I will have a mess today.

    * * *

    Franklin, Mo.
    July 8, 1863

    I have not had any word from Thompson since he landed at Vicksburg. It surrendered to our boys on the 4th day of July. We got the news last evening by telegraph. Our boys got 24 or 25 thousand prisoners so the news goes, if this be true, bully for the Union. We had a great time here last evening. We fired 10 or 12 rounds by command and had a good time generally. We got word yesterday that the union army was giving the rebels hell in every quarter in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas. Our apples are growing fine. One cook went out into the orchard this morning and got a bucket full. I guess she is going to make us some dumplings or pies for dinner.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    August 2, 1863

    We came here last Wednesday night and the next day we pitched our tents and have been laying in them ever since. Our camp is about one half mile from town. We have to guard the rebel prisoners in the old penitentiary. There are about two thousands of them. We had to leave our good fruit down in Franklin, Mo., but this is a good fruit country. We can get plenty of apples and peaches. This is one of the hilliest countries I have been in yet. I thought Missouri was a broken country but this beats it all hollow.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Aug. 16, 1863

    This is a great place for Copperheads. They are thicker than fiddlers in hell. There was one of our men down in town this day week—he is a very civil man. They got talking about the war and one of them hurrahed for Jeff Davis! He told him he ought to go South. The Jeff man took up a brick bat and hit him in the mouth. If they break out again there will be hot work. There are four or five of us bought each of us a revolver and when we go down to town or stand on guard we have them with us. I have one of the nicest five shooters that they make. I shot it the other day, 30 steps at a man’s hat. He bet me I could not hit it twice out of five shots. I hit it three times. He had to pay me. I want you to let me know in your next letter if that timothy seed that I sowed last fall is worth anything.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Oct. 4, 1863

    I landed here the next Saturday morning at daylight after I left home. I had a very pleasant trip. There are eight of us in a mess. We rented a house. There is one room and kitchen. We pay $ 3.50 per month. We moved in last Friday. When I was at home I told you that I thought we would go to Rock Island but from the news I have heard since I came back I think we will go to Vicksburg or Fort Hudson or some other southern fort.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Oct. 30, 1863

    I did forget to tell you in my last letter about that cake. Well I will tell you all about it in this. It was one of the nicest and best cakes that ever went down a soldier’s throat. It was as nice when I took it out of my trunk as it was when you put it in. We have got our prison full of prisoners—we have received over 200 this week. We stayed overnight and camped out. We built up a big fire by the side of a large log and got some dry bark and spread it out on the ground before the fire and lay down on it and slept until morning. We took some bread and salt with us. We roasted squirrels for meat and we had a happy time. We had double-barreled shotguns. We borrowed them from citizens. They are willing to lend to us whenever we want to go hunting. We saw lots of deer. If I had had Davy’s gun I could have killed one.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Nov. 15, 1863

    I received a letter from John Irwin dated Oct. 25, a few days ago and he said in looking over the papers the name of Sergeant J. C. Robinson, Co. G., 19th Iowa was severely wounded near a place called Morgansa, La., but the initials are not his but I fear that it is Thompson. If you know any about him please let me know and if he is wounded and sent to any of the hospitals within reach I will go and see him.---Well, it was Thompson. I received a letter from him dated Oct. 29, St. Louis hospital, New Orleans, La. I sent a letter to Irwin the next day after I got Thompson’s. I expect you have had a letter from him before you get this. The ball that wounded him passed through his right shoulder and took all of his lower teeth out and left his lip hanging over his chin but he is nearly well. I was on guard last Thursday and we took in 180 rebel prisoners from a boat from Memphis, Tenn. Some of them had a ball and chain on the legs and some of them had handcuffs on. I stood guard over them two hours after they first came in. I came near shooting a ---rebel last night. I was on guard. Our orders are not to trade or talk with them. There was one of them that came to me and wanted to sell me some rings. I told him to leave here. He left and in about half an hour came back and asked me the same question. I took out my pistol and told him if he did not leave right away I would send his soul to hell. He left in double quick and did not bother me any more. When I was home I told you of the prisoner we have here by the name of Sarah Keys. She told me that was her name and she was not a spy but I think she is a liar.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Dec. 20, 1863

    I received a letter from Thompson on last Thursday and he said his shoulder was healed sound. He jaw is not quite healed. We received yesterday 135 prisoners and there is 165 more will be here in a day or two.

    * * *

    The Letter and Its Recipient

    Photo of a black and white postcard addressed to Sarah C. Robison, Port Louisa, Iowa with stamp and picture of Union soldiers fighting
    Interesting letters presented here, revealing experience of the famous “Gray Beards,” in Civil war days, were dispatched in this and other similar enveloped. The recipient and interesting follower of this group of colorful war veterans was Miss Sarah E. Robison, whose home, at that time, was Port Louisa, Iowa.
    Photo of Sarah Robison.

    * * *

    Alton, Ill.
    Dec. 26, 1863

    We had a fine Christmas dinner yesterday, turkey, chicken pie and knick knacks. I was out on a raid on last Tuesday eight miles in the country after some bushwhackers. They had robbed a store. There were 60 of them and 40 of us, but we could not find any of them. If we had come together we wouldn’t have had a little fight. Last week I was on guard the coldest day of them all. Well, Sally, we are to start for Rock Island tomorrow …

    (Continued on Page 11)

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      … or the next day. So say the orders we had. We had orders a few days ago to Keokuk but they were countermanded.

      * * *

      Rock Island, Ill
      Feb 19, 1864

      There were four companies of our regiment at the Island last Monday. They were Company, B, D, C, and F. We may go in a few days but it I hard to tell where we will go. Sometimes I think we will go to Camp McClellan to guard the wild Indians, the new recruits will have to leave in a few days. I am still boarding at the New York house.

      * * *

      Rock Island Barracks, Ill.
      June 1, 1864

      I took my trunk yesterday to Rock Island to send it home on a boat and I expect it will be in the Port this evening. We had marching orders to start to Memphis, Tenn., on Monday morning at 8 o’clock but we are here yet, but how long I cannot tell. We are under marching orders ever since. There is no doubt but we will leave here in a few days. The word has just come into our quarters that there was a regiment come in last night to relieve us. If that is so we will leave day after tomorrow. Our regiment is running down very fast. There are 216 men reporting for guard duty at this time. There are 34 in our company and 30 in the hospital.

      * * *

      Memphis, Tenn.
      June 28, 1864

      We have awful hot weather down here in Dixie. We are expecting a brush with the rebels. We are under marching orders to hold ourselves ready to march on a moment’s notice. The word is we go to Corinth if Forrest does not gobble us up before we get there. He is out in that direction and I expect he will try to stop us. If he does we will give him the best turn we have in the shop. I am sitting in my tent and have to use my knee for a writing desk and the day if hot enough to cook eggs if we had any to place out in the sun, but the ---seseshers sell them so high that us old chaps cannot afford to buy any. I will give you the price of a few articles. Potatoes 10 cents per quart, onions 2 c a piece, milk 15 c a quart, butter 60 c a pound, green beans $ 1.00 a bushel. I stand guard twice a day on the plank road and there are 4 or 5 milk wagons go into town twice a day and I get my tin cup full every night and morning but I never pay them anything. They always give the guard their cupful and don’t charge them for it. You said you and Thompson had been to Davenport and you had seen some sights. If you were to come down here you would see larger sights than you ever saw in Davenport. You can travel all day and you would not be out of the sight of tents. The whole face of the land about Memphis is covered with tents. I heard one officer say last week that there was issued daily to soldiers seventy one thousand rations and from that one would think there were a few of the B-boys here. You would hardly know me if you were to meet me on the road at his time. I have not had a razor on face since I went to Rock Island and there is considerable le hair on my face at this time.

      * * *

      Memphis, Tenn.
      July 25, 1864

      I was out on the train yesterday week to LaGrange but the rebs did not molest us. Our men were out on the train yesterday and the rebs did not molest them, but their intention was to fire on the train, but the guards on the road got word and they drove them off. They had a little brush with them. There are two or three regiments of 100 day men stationed along the road to guard it. The rebs slip up on them once in a while and fire on them and then skedaddle. They fired on a squad yesterday morning and wounded several of them. Some of them were mortally wounded. I expect to go out on the train tomorrow. I was over to the 4th Iowa Cav. Camp yesterday. I saw Cal Williamson. He is well. He had just got in. He was under Gen. Smith at the Battle of Tupalo where our boys gave Forrest his first drubbing. I did not see Robert Paxton, Schofield nor Smith. They were out on picket guard. I was over to see the 35th Regiment, Iowa Vo. I saw Davy Thom and Young Boak. They were well. They were both at the Battle of Tupalo. The word is now that all the guards on the railroad from here to LaGrange are to be taken off and let the bushwhackers have it all to themselves and place a strong guard around Memphis and close the lines. We are under marching orders but where we will go it is hard to tell. The word was we would go to LaGrange but if the road is disbanded we will have to look out some other place to go too.

      * * * * * * *

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