MILITARY: Civil War Letters This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: James C Sheppard March 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net//copyright.htm ________________________________________________________ NOTE: For more information on Davis County, Iowa Please visit the Davis County, IAGenWeb page at http://iagenweb.org/davis/ ________________________________________________________ These letters were written by Alexander Burns, my great-great uncle, a native of Ballantrae, Scotland who immigrated to Davis County, Iowa with his parents David and Agnes Furgeson (sp) Burns and seven brothers and sisters in 1852. Alexander served Co. A 4th IA Inf, 1st Div, 15th Army Corps. Punctuation was added to make the letters a bit easier to read; spelling was left as it was written. December 18, 1864 Dear Friends I now write you a few lines to let you know that I am well. Hoping this will find you enjoying the sam blesing. I received your leter of the 9 of November and was glad to sea by it that you were all well. I was not at atlanta to receive your leter but close to savana gorgia so you can sea by examining the map we have not be idle. Our regment is now taken up tempera camp about five miles from sava on acount of the trip is to much for my time. I arived close to attlanta on the 13 of November and cut comunication that night and cince that we have ben on the march. Our regment has ben lucky this time as we have ben at the front and have not had any fighting to do as yet. You wanted me to let you know what kind of a regment the forth was. All I have to say is that any regment that has passed through tharty five batels and never get whiped has a good record. As for going into a regment where I was not acuanted, that makes no diference as one weak did not pas til I was acquainted with the whole company. They are a splended set of men. All a man has to do is to behave himself and he will have plenty of friends as roudies don't have much (shoe?) here. Us Davis Co boys, twenty one in number, all got into Co. A. We have had fine wether ever since we started on the campain. There has ben no rain of any importance, so that helped us greatly as the contry we had to pass through was filed with swamps. With wed wether it would have ben an imposibility to travel. All the objection I had to the wether was it was so hot. Last July would compare very faverable til our desember. I can not understand what is going on here but I think they do not intend to take savana by storm. They apear to be placing tropes clear around it. We are very close to (us?). They have ben trying to shel us for several days. We came to our present camp last sundy night. We laid by all day for to get a dark nigh to cros to our present position as we had to cros a place where thy had a batery placed so as to have a ?acking fier but the g?nies did not discover us so they got badly fuled. Next morning found us with bateries redy to contend with. A litle of how we lived on the trip might be interesting. At the first of the trip they isued us helve ration and let us forage the balance and we don very well at that. We kiled hoges, catle, sheap and goats. Goats in abundence. The main crop of this contry is sweat potatoes. The were in abundance but we did not leave many. What we could not eat we destroyed. There were plenty of molases and honey but there is non left. I have just returned from a four days trip into the contry. Our regment was out fifty miles a foreging. We made a clean sweap of ever thing. G Borows visited our camp to day. He is well and stand soldiering well. Haney and night are sick. H is improving very fast but is weak yet. I think the next news you will hear will be the fal of savana. While I was riting there was twelve heavy guns pased going into position. They ship our provision up the oyecha river to within eight miles of our Camp now. More a present but remains yours. Alexander Burns. Alres A Burns Co A forth Iowa Infentry first Division 15 army Corps December 29, 1864 October 23 Started to burlington by way of fairfield. Arived at burlington at two oclock on the 24. Left burlington on the 25 and arived at devenport on the 26. Stayed there til the 31. On the evening of the 31 started for chicago and arived at chicago on the morning of the 1 of November. Left the same night for indianapeles. Arived there on the morning of the 2. Left for buisvail and arived there on the 3. Stayed all night and left for washvail on the 4. Arived there the same night and stayed there till the 6 then left for chatenuga on the 7. Stayed there til the 9 then left for marzeta 14 miles from attant??. On the evening of the 10 we joined our regment and were consigned to companies on the morning of the 11. Driled the 11 and 12 and on the 13 we started on the campain which brought us on front of savannah. On the 13 we marched 15 miles. Laid past on the 14. On the 15 we marched 20 miles and got close to jonesborough. On the 16 we marched some 15 miles to a plase by the name of macdonald. On the 17 marched 22 miles and camped near Jackson. On the 18 we marched 16 miles to a place by the name of indian spring. On the 19 marched 16 miles and crosed a river by the name of Aumulga. On the 20 marched 24 miles to a place by the name of clinton. This is the nicest little town I have sen in gorgia as yet. On the 21 we started and marched till evening when the rebel cavelry thought they would have some fun taking in our train but it found the forth as train guard so they merly give us one fier and retired before we could about fase. Lucky there was now one one hurt although the bulets flew around a litle. Our days march was 13 miles. On the 22 we marched 30 miles throwed up brestwork. We expected an at but the rebels did not atact us. They atacted the second brigade of our Division. They wer on a road about 2 miles to our right. They charged our men three times and were repulsed at each atact. On the 23 we left our work. Marched 3 miles. Throwed up (work?) agian. Left our works in about an hour and marched 8 miles. On the 24 we marched 12 miles. On the 25 marched 9 miles. Built brestworks. Marched the same Day 7 miles (more?). On the 26 marched 8 miles. On the 27 worked 5 hours torup rail road then marched 25 miles. On the 28 marched 14 miles. On the 29 marched 15 miles. On the 30 marched 13 miles. Desember 1 marched 10 miles. On the 2 marched 8 miles. On 3 laid in camp. On the 4 marched 15 miles. On the 5 marched 18 miles. On the 6 marched 10 miles and crosed the ogecha river. Two companies of the 9 Iowa had crosed in (scifest?). When we arived the rebs had burned the plank of the bridge and we crosed gust as son as it was repared a litle. When we crosed scrimiging was going on prety brisk but the 9 Iowa boys drove them of before we got (up?). There was one rebel kiled and to wonded. non of our boys were hurt. We advanced one mile from the river and built brestwork. On the 7 marched 4 miles and back. Brestworks on the 8. Marched 2 miles and built works on the 9. Marched back acros the ogecha and went 20 miles on the 11. Marched 18 miles and build works on the 11. Laid by til night then started and (came?) acros a place where the rebs had (??) so that they could have (raked?) us but darknes was of service to us that time for they left us past without firing a single shot. We only marched 1 mile past there fort and camped close to there fort from the 12 til the 15. We laid in camp the rebs trying there big guns all the time. On the 15 we stared on a foreging expedition and went out 40 miles. Loaded 10 wagons with corn and five with swet potatoes. We started out on the 15 and returned on the 19. Spent the 20 in camp. On the 21 we marched 4 miles to our present camp 1 mile from savannah where we have spent since the 21 driling. It is not the 29 of Dec and as warm as June in Iowa. Although this acount is very imperfet in many respect yet I want it preserved. I am well at present hoping this will find you enjoying the same. Blesing no more more at present but remains yours. Alexander Burns. A short scetch of our travels since we left home. Alexander Burns Co A forth Iowa Infentry 1 Division 15 Army Corps