Pioneer Corps; 3rd Div. 15th A.C. 
 
Chattanooga Tenn; Nov: 30th 1863 
Dear Lucinda 
I Sit Down this morning to write you a 
few lines to Inform you that I am as 
well as usual and Truly hope this may 
find you in good health; I have not 
Rec,d any letter from you Since I last 
wrote to you; the last letter I Recd from 
you was dated 25th & 28th of Oct; over a 
month ago and I have anxiously looked 
for a letter from you Every mail for 
nearly two weeks I dont know why I 
do not get letters from you for I have Rec,d 
letters from Illinois as late as the 18th of 
this month; there is Railroad commun 
ication from here to the North; So that 
Should come from Wis in 5 or 6 days; I 
Rec,d a letter a few days ago from David 
Ingersoll; he Said that the folks was all 
well and that they had heard that I 
was Dead; I will Send you the letter 
We have had quite an Interesting time 
here Since I wrote to you last 
Our Army Corps (Sherman) went 
up on the west or North Side of the Tenn  
River in the left of our lines 4 miles 
above Chattanooga; and after 12 Oclk 
in the morning of the 24th of this month 
we; we launched over a hundred 
Pontoon Boats into the River and went 
to work crossing our Troops right in 
the face of the Rebels; for the purpose of 
getting possession of and holding 
Missionary Ridge which was strongly  
held by the Rebels it was Really Interesting 
to See our men crossing we had about 
a hundred and fifty Boats [illegible] at 
          u 
once Each boat carrying abo^t 30 men 
the River was full of Boats some going 
one way and some another they looked 
like a lost flock of Geese Swimming 
around Blinded with a light and 
not Knowing where to go; we crossed 
two Divisions or about Ten thousand 
Troops in less than three hours; and again at  
daylight we had a line of Breast works 
thrown up two miles in length and 
men in them to hold them 
the first three Regts that [crossed out word] 
crossed the River; went out and 
                                             the 
captured about two miles of ^ Rebel 
Picket guards that was in front of us; 
among the number was a captain 
Officer of the guard; and a Liet Col. 
Acting Officer of the day; at daylight 
the pontoon (Co) went to work throwing 
a pontoon Bridge acrosse the river 
and by ten O,clk the Bridge was finis 
hed; and from that until night there 
was a Steady Stream of Infantry;  
Cavalry & Artillery crossing the River; 
during the day our front lines advanced 
Severeral times and by night they had 
thrown up three lines of works; During 
the night a heavy lines of Battle was 
formed around the left and in front 
           n 
of Missionary Ridge; and on the mor^ing 
of the 25th Shermans Corps advanced 
on the Enemy and there was heavey 
fighitng on our left all day and after 
noon Gen Thomas attacked in the Center 
with a heavey charge taking [crossed out word] a large 
quantity of artillery and Some prisoners
[crossed out] [the first] the 2nd and 3rd Brigades 
of our Division made a charge on a 
heavy line of Rebel Artillery and Infantry 
in the afternoon the Rebel position was 
So Strong that they had to fall back losing 
Several hundred men; I have not time 
to give you the Details of the Battle but 
we have badly Defeated the Rebels here 
     them 
Scattering ^ in disorder; we followed 
them to [illegible] in Georgia 18 miles from 
Chattanooga Skirmishing and taking 
prisoners from them all the way; [crossed out word] 
and part of our forces are after them yet 
we came back to Chattanooga yesterday 
The Talk is that we will Remain here 
[illegible] time to guard the place while the 
reserve troops will go forward; The [crossed out word] 
Wether is quite cold to day last night 
the ground froze quite hard Ice froze 
Some half Inch thick; I found one of 
my Uncles the other day in the 5th Ohio 
       a 
Cav^lry that I had not seen for 11 years 
I will write again in a few days 
Yours as Ever		Thos. J.Davis 
     L.M.Davis 
Well Lucinda I will write you a 
few more lines before the mail goes 
out; it is Sprinkling a little of rain 
I will not attempt to give you any 
war news The Rebels are all whiped 
out of this vicinity and I Supose 
that Some of them are runing yet 
we captured Several thousand of 
them there is a large correll full 
of them here in Town and they are 
being Sent off to Nashville as fast 
as the cars can [crossed out word] take them 
This is Rebel paper that I am 
writing on and it is very poor 
          n 
Stuff: we Bur^t a large Rebel 
arsnal in Georgia the other side 
of Chattanooga while we was 
following the Rebs after the battle 
there was a large number of gun 
Barrels an new Locks; and stocks 
that had not been but together yet 
They will not make anymore guns 
at that again verry soon
we was paid two months pay on 
the 2nd of this month I dont think  
I will send any money home for a 
few days yet; I want you to tell 
Robert Mc to be sure and write to me 
that is if you see him: I dont think 
there will be any more furloughs 
granted this winter but another 
year will give me a final furlough 
and then I will not have to come back 
I am Still in the Pioneer Corps 
and I think it is an Easier place 
than it is in the Regt: Direct your 
letters as I last wrote: the Boys in 
the Company is all well 
     Well Lucinda I will close for 
this time and I will write again 
in a few days 
     I Remain Truly yours as Ever 
 
Thos. J. Davis 
To Lucinda M Davis