15 



it the ranking Capt is Capt Hale 2ond is Paine 3rd 

 Stookey 4tli Snyder there are the candidates and if it is 

 left to a vote of the officers of the Regt I think the 3rd 

 stands as good a chance as any but if it goes by promotion 

 the 1st will get it according to rank, but as this is all 

 mere speculation & we may all gwt killed off in next 

 fight and never have any promotion but we shall all hope 

 for the best. T suppose you are all attending church to 

 night while I am engaged in writing. Our Chaplain has 

 left us he resigned & we have no church now sometimes 

 I go to hear others in other regiments As I have nothing 

 much to write I will close give my love to all the Family 

 I hope Caroline is well by this time. Serg-t Charles Wag- 

 ner has returned from home he has been recruiting since 

 August but only got three recruits. Serg Joe Beaver has 

 been detached witha pioneer core and is now Commissary 

 Sergt My Sts are both enjoying good health as well as 

 my self and all my company so good night J M Stookey 



VIII. 



Dear Brother & Family Camp Near iMurf reesboro Tenn 



Jan 24th 1863 



I am once more seated for the purpose of penning you 

 a few^ lines in answer to yours written Jan 2ond 1863 

 which I received a few days ago. Well I have been in one 

 more hard fight & come out safe. We laid in camp near 

 Nashville until the 26th day of Dec 1863 when the whole 

 army began the advance toward Murfreesboro. The right 

 Avdng which we are in commanded by Maj Genrl McCook 

 moved out on the Nolinsville pike Genrl Davis Division 

 in advance Col Post Brigade in advance of the division 

 & the 29th in advance of the Brigade our Regt was soon 

 throwed out as skirmishes on both sides of the road and 

 discovered the enemy after we had gone about 5 miles 

 from camp & drove them with our skirmishes until drove 

 them into Nolinsville where they were heavily reinforced 

 & secreted themselves in the houses & Col Post then 

 brought up the r)th Wisconsin Battery commanded by 

 Capt Pinney & he opened on them with shell & cannister 



