Letters from a Civil War Relative #2: October 27, 1861 from Camp Wildcat

Here is part two in this series of letters from the pension file of my 5 times great-granduncle Joel Stamper, whose son Richard and son-in-law Edward Turner both sent letters that ended up in that file. Both of them also died in the war. 

This letter is the closest to a battle report or military overview as exists in these letters, though other mentions of the enemy occur later. Edward penned this one for Richard.

Camp Wild Cat October the 27^th 1861

Dear Father, I take the opportunity of writing to you to let you know that I am well at this time, hoping that these few lines will find you all injoying these same blessings.

I have something vary interesting to write to you.

I can inform you that on Monday last the 21 of October we had a battle at Camp Wild Cat and we lost 3 killed and 8 wounded and the loss of the Rebels was about 200 on upwards.

On the day before the battle 1,000 men came from Indiana and 1,000 from Ohio and on the day of the battle 1,000 more came from Ohio and brought 6 cannons and on the next day come 1000 more from Ohio and 1600 from East Tennessee. Our strength the day before the battle was about 700 of Garrard’s regiment and about 700 cavalry.

The strength of the enemy was about 7200.

We are a going to start after them on the morning.

John Stamper is gone back to Mt. Vernon but he is on the mend.

I would be glad to see you but am deprived of the privalege at this time but I intend to come home as soon as I can get a furlough.

It is not worth while for you to write to me until I send you another letter when we stop.

So no more at present but remains your affectionate son until death from Richard Stamper to Joel Stamper and family.

The American Battlefield Trust provides more information about this Union victory, and here is some archaeological information about the remains of Camp Wildcat.

Here is one soldier’s view of this contest. 

Photo from Laurel County Historical Society, stored at https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62812b2c3b43106df0e623a5/b1e5caf1-78d1-499b-a722-a4f434f677ca/1-157.jpg, 

"Garrard" referred to Kentucky politician and Colonel Theophilus T. Garrard, a future Brigadier General.

                                                           Theophilus Garrard, photo from Wikipedia

The John Stamper that Richard mentioned was likely his cousin who was in the same company. Perhaps they both had Richard Stamper Sr. as a grandfather, but I have not yet been able to confirm John's parentage, so that is uncertain. If they were cousins via Richard Sr., that of course means that John is another distant relative for me, so I will have to add him to my list if I verify that tie. John was discharged from the army in April of 1862 for being too weak physically for military duty, so his time "on the mend" apparently did not go too well.

Mt. Vernon, where John had gone, is a city in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, near Garrard County where these men had mustered in at Camp Dick Robinson and not far from Breathitt County, where Richard had been born and lived.

The next entry in this series will be a brief letter from Edward Turner to his family, written on the same day and at the same place as this one.