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The New Arter Letter 3
Original Arter Letter 3 PDF -5.61 Megs
I recently acquired the text for this letter through email from a very nice person who realized that this letter was the companion letter to the first Arter letter. It has some tremendous implications. It tells of how the black troops were given full honors after their victories and how they were respected by the white troops. It also reports that the USCT soldiers used Fort Pillow as a battle cry and massacred the rebel troops after they taunted them about Fort Pillow.I need someone to confirm the massacre mentioned at Fort Watkins. Weum
Headquarters June 19th 18- Wilson's Landing on James River- M Arter Dear Father I read your letter a- ago wrote June 6th and would of answ- but my time being so occupied I could - a moment for myself. we have to work- and boath late and early. we are cold o- morning at 3 o'clock and kept to it until nine- evening. occassionaly we are cald out on a supp- ing an attack form the Rebels. So far we have- came in contact with the Rebs. but should we be attacked we will have to try our hand. our work since we left home has been mostly to work on the fortifications and making roads for the main army to move on. It is astonishing to see the amount of work that is done. We have had to make roads where you would think it impossible. this whole country lays very low and as a general thing is swampy. you have heard of what they call wilderness and by the By it is well named. to give you a history as far as I have seen of the country. it lays very low with pine trees growing up in it as thick as they can grow. running up as straight as an arrow to a hight from 30 to 40 feet. with a kind -vine growing up so thick that a rabit -et through with gaggers on. running up to -the trees making a perfect mat. on -where we now are. the pines grow larger -terssenced with other kinds of trees such as maple -hesnut, white oak and as a general thing the -ws to no size. The land looks very poor the -as I have seen where they farm looks very - thin, composed of white clay as far as I -country over since we left Washington City -le country appears to be entirely deserted and -vast from the ravages of our army. I have not -a field enclosed with a fence and what crops was put out there is no care taking of it. in fact as far as our army reaches, the whole country is laid waist, and it will take years before it can be brought back to what it was before the war. all the fine mansions have been destroyed. the camp we now lay on is said to be on of the finest locations on James River. It is entirely deserted, not a sole on or near it. they do say the owner Mr. Wilson and his sons are all in the rebel army. it was at this point that General Wild had the fight with General Fitz Hugh Lee about the 16th of May, and whiped him most shamefully. the dead rebs can be seen laying around over the battleground now we left Washington City some two wee-(ks ago) sence that time I have seen a good- (bit of) country. first we Reported at the whi- (te house which) is on the Pamunka River. that was a por-(t) Gen. Grant need his supplies, to carry ou- we was immediately ordered to city P-(oint on) the James River at the mouth of the- Appomattox. at this point. was quite a- city. but sence our men came in, this-(point had) been almost destroyed. There is not an o-(riginal) family here now. On looking it ov- some of the nicest parks I ever saw, at- it is headquarters for Gen Butlers Blac-(k troops) from here we were ordered to Bermuda Hundred. It is here now where Gen Grant receives his supplies as he has shifted his army from the Pamunka to this Point where he commenced his operations against Petersburgh we was immediately ordered from this point to the Point of Rocks on the apomattox River here we laid from Monday to Thursday evening. meanwhile Gen Grant Gen Mead & Gen Butler massed some one hundre and fifty thousand troops to commence their campaign against Gen. Buregard Johnson & other Generals. they commenced their operations on Wednesday morning June 15th and I have no doubt that there had been some of the hardest fighting in the whole campaighn -ace that is point of Rocks can be seen the -try when General Grant and Butler is a fighting -as for three days and nights the time our regiment laid at that - heard one continual sound from the artillery and rifles - rising therefrom would raise until the whole (c)-ould be darkened so as a person could not hardly (loca)-tion from where it was. I could look the whole thing -t was one of the grandest sights I ever looked upon, but (t)-he sacrifice of no doubt of hundreds yes I may say - our brave men. Oh what a sorrowful sight to - see as I have seen regiment after regiment march -ose heavy fortifications for the purpose of scaling them -assture the enemy which is inside. knowing at the same time -ances were entirely against them. On the heavy fortifications around Petersborough which the Rebs held, they put the negroes to work to take them. Fort Walker being the outside and strongest fort of the Rebs was taken entirely by the blacks. it is said by the knowing ones even Grant himself that at this fort was the hardest fight of the whole war. this fort was took on wednesday evening commencing the attack about 4 o'clock and was took about 8 & silenced. meanwhile the negroes were repulsed some 4 or 5 times and would rally until they finally succeeded in reaching the top of the works. there the tug of war commenced. the Rebs yelling to them to come on and they would make another Fort Pillow case. the Blacks could not see it that way. on the taking of the fort the Blacks murderd every Reb that was left supposing to be some 4 or 5 hundred. I saw and talked with quite a number of blacks that was in that engagement they say when they took the fort the Rebs begged of them to spare their lives but their orders was to remember Fort Pillow. and that was the way they remembered it. this engagement I was in a position that I could see the whole thing. Fort Stephens the inside fort was taking the next evening. the gun boats and heavy seize guns plaid on it all day keeping up one continual volley along in the afternoon. The fort was silenced at which time the negros went over and took possession as they did the other which they now hold. they here also remembered Fort Pillow all in fact all of the heavy works around Petersborough was taking by the Blacks, the idea that the whites will not take part when the blacks are engaged is entirely plaid out. I find by talking with the white troops that they have no objection to the Black Troops taking a position with them in the field, and if necessary they lead the column and take all the Honor it is in this department Gen Butlers when the main portion of the colored army is. I have seen regiment after Regiment passing backwards and forwards. Cavalry Artillery & infantry they are the finest looking men in the field, as a general thing they are large, mostly young and of all coulers. from the white to as black as a crow and nearly all of them has been slaves. I must bring this to a close as I have already wrote more than I expected I must close for to day as I am just detailed to go with a lot of men on picket. Tuesday June 21st well I have got in again from my picket duty and thought I would finish my letter in this section. everything is Rebble from what I can understand. There is no a union man in the whole country some of the boys have been out back of this place some five miles Forraging they all say they have not seen a white man in that distance. the women all claim they are cesesh (secessionists) and that their cause is right. all through the country the farms are entirely deserted and not a man to do any work. the Blacks have all ran off & the whites have been consrcpted (conscripted) the houses are nearly all vacant. the women come 6 together & you will find a house full of them. where ever there are any corn plants & wheat sown it is left, the corn has not been touched since it was planted when I was out yesterday I saw 100 acres just growing up in the weeds & not a rail to be seen that bring the case as far as I have been. It looks like starvation. What little is left our army scour the country & take what they can find. There is a party of a lot of men started out from this camp this morning and went out with conveyances (wagons). they take every thing they can find. such as horses, cows hogs sheep grain niggers and every thing they can get a hold of. it appears hard to go into a house when there is not a man near and take every thing that can be found. when there is no one but women & children and they a crying & begging as our men are taking away everything they can find. it is right in this section where rebeldom exists in its worst. O that this cursed Rebellion may cease and that the people may return to that government which is the best of all others. this location is said to be one of the finest from the mouth of the James River to Richmond. It is a point the rebels prize very much on account it is the best natural point to cut off the supplies which our men up to Gen Grants army. there is three regiments of us here...the 143rd, 163rd col miller commanding and a Artillery Co and also there is also two gunboats laying at the landing in case we should be attacked that they they may help take care of their cases. as every body knows the rebs hate the gun boats worse than the devil. 7 I saw a case the other evening when a gunboat made the Rebs schedaddle as our Regt was coming down the River to this point the Rebs planted themselves with a battery on the shore. I suppose to try what our boat was made of. Some of the boatmen discovered them and held up & signaled a gunboat which came up and fired about a doz shels into their shebang and they lit out in a little less than no time. the James River is a very nice river and is naviagable for the largest Crafts. there is Boats in sight all the time carrying forward Supplies the tide seems clear up to to this point. and is salty for miles up, at this landing it is nice and pure and a most splendid beach. which makes it nice for the boys to swim in which they do no little at there is some very nice fish cought mostly catfish and lots of ells. I see the boys have ells as long as my arm and Bye and Bye the first ell I ever saw was caught here. 8 I reed two letters to day from my wife and also a leader (later) one wrote 5th of June the other 15th which I assure you was gladly Read. and also Glad to hear you was all well. & was getting along as well as could be expected in regard to the General news of the army of the Potomack you are to get them as soon as I can get them here the news is here that General Grant holds Petersburgh if such is the case good By Richmond as it is ac knowledged on all hands that is the key to it. the wether here is not so very warm. I have seen it warmer in Ohio but the nights is very cold can lain 3 or 4 blankets very comfortable. there has been no rain since we left the city of washington in the morning at 3 o'clock when we have to all get up it is so very cold it makes the boys shiver. Veg itation don't suffer here with the drouht like it does in Ohio and there is very heavy dews here. 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