Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsHodges, Tenn, Sept. 17 1863—Dear FatherOn the evening of the 14th Genl. White received orders to move his Division at once to Knoxville & from there to Greenville. We broke camp at 3 o’clock on the 15th marching 25 miles or within 5 miles of Knoxville—yesterday we made 15 miles & started this A. M. at 4 o’clock for a long push when orders reached Genl. W at this place causing a halt until farther orders. This place is...

Transcription of Letter Head Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army Corps.Loudon, E. Tenn Sept 7 1863Dear BrotherIf you take your atlas, find the State of Tennessee and look along the line of the East Tenn R. R. about 40 miles west of Knoxville you will find Loudon the place where we are now encamped—it is situated on the Tenn. River. The R. R. bridge at this place was a very fine one 1600 feet long—the rebels burnt it just before our advance came up. We are now at work building a pontoon bridge which...

Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsJamestown, Tenn. Aug. 26th 1863Dear MotherI wrote to Father night before last and still carry the letter in my pocket waiting for an opportunity to mail it.We are now at Jamestown which you will find in Fentress Co.N. W. from Noxville--it is 26 miles from Albany which distance we made yesterday, that is, a small portion of our Div. & a brigade of Cav. under Col. Crittenden which is temporarily under Gel White. The...

Transcription of Letter Hd. Qrs. 2d Div. 23d Army CorpsJamestown, Tenn. Aug. 28th 1863Dear MaryI will commence a letter tonight and hold it in readiness before the next mail leaves. We have no regular mail communication as yet & so send by couriers or others who happen to return to a town where the mail communications are uninterrupted.Our Division is the only one that reached the point designated in orders at the time specified and our Genl. has read a congratulation...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...

Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: This collection houses four letters that Watson B. Smith wrote to his family in Michigan from East Tennessee during August and September of 1863. In them, he discusses the Knoxville Campaign, battles with Confederate troops and guerillas, and dealings with the civilian population, which was mostly (but not entirely) sympathetic to the Union. He also discusses his duties in headquarters, including his temporary appointment as aide-de-camp. Several letters written to and from captured...