Civil War-dated ALS, signed “Emmett Cole,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 8 x 12.5, June 15, 1862. Handwritten letter by Emmett Cole of Company F, 8th Michigan Infantry, reporting on action at James Island, South Carolina. The Battle of Secessionville, won by the Confederates, would be fought the next day on June 16, 1862.
In part: "Dear Sister…the smoke from the big guns is riseing not half a mile distant on our side and about a mile farther on a dense cloud is also riseing from the rebel batteries. they have got a heavey battery planted just accross a large marsh and open plain which we cannot cross as it now is without being cut down by thousands. so our have went to work and planted heavey batteries on this side, consisting of heavey siege pieces, and Rifled cannon with the intention of shelling them out of that. they work them night and day. they toss the heavey Iron Messengers of death too, and for as carelessly and with about as mutch indifference as a lot of school boys would play Bass ball, but you may calculate it is a little more noisy….
my last was written on Coles Island, but by crossing a small channel we found ourselves on what is called James Island, which is about six miles long, by two in breadth. the very same on which sutch heavey batteries were planted by the Rebels against Ft. Sumpter, the Gun boats are getting into position as for upon each ride of the Island today as they can. the Monitor lies just below with another Iron Clad boat so they say which they intend to bring against Fort Johnson on the upper end of this Island. it is my opinion the Rebels will defend this Island to the last degree. for they know if we get this Island, and another little Island just above, that Fort Sumpter and Charlston will be yankee plunder in short Metre.
there has been several deserters come into our lines from the Rebel side since we came here. they say their force amounts to about 12,000. one of our Engineers while about half drunk deserted and went over to the Rebels. in two or three days after our men found his body between their Picket line and ours, pierced with three balls. it is supposed that the Rebels tried to find out by him how large our force was and how situated. the fellow told them (so the Rebel deserters say) that we only had two or three Regts on the Island, (and no dout he told them the truth as near as he could for he had not seen any more haveing been connected with Wrights Brig only which forms our extreme left, and is sepparated from us by a large swamp) so they thought they would just pick up what few straggling yankees there was on the Island, they got ready at once & made the Yankee deserter act as guide, but behold what the result.
they found our boys all ready a lookout from a tree had seen the whole plan and communicated the same, our boys were lying in a piece of woods when they came up and were backed by two batteries of light Artillery as soon as they were near enough our boys rose up and poured voly after voly of balls into their ranks cutting them down like gross, at the same time the Batteries opened on them with Grape and Canister the amount of it was they turned and run like cusses. they supposed the Yankee had been lying to them and led them purposely into a trap and they shot him without further ceremony. I will tell one more little circumstance of the war here that has happened through the week and then I will quit telling war stories for this time.
Some of the Rebels up at Wrights Brig thought it would be a nice thing to shoot now and then a Picket so they arranged their sharp shooters in the bushes and trees as near our posts as they dared, and would let a bullet slip when our boys came in sight, but they got enough of that for our boys arranged themselves accordingly, and managed to kill three to their one. One of them went up a tree one day to watch our Pickets, but one of our boys saw him go up. so he took a position in the bushes as near the tree as he could without being seen by the Rebel and watched him all day long, but when the sun was going down in the west the Rebel thought he would come down too. thinking prehaps that there was no chance to pick a yankee any more that day. he moved carefully from his seat in the tree and commenced to decend. he soon come in range of the Yankee rifle and Whiz went a Bullet through his heart. this wound up their Picket Shooting.
I am not very well the same hard cold and cough that I spoke of long ago hangs to me yet. if I was home where I could get the right kind of medicine I could be well in a Fortnight, but if men are unwell in the army they see hard times especialy when out on sutch expeditions as this. I have not reported sick yet and have done my share of duty all the while, but it goes against the Grain sometimes. I told you when you wrote to me to tell me about the little boys and Ida I have not heared from them in a long while tell the little boys I am comeing back as soon as the war is ended to see them." In good to very good condition, with splits to intersecting folds.
The Collection of Dr. Joseph Matheu.
