November 11, 1864
Major General Wilson
Montgomery, Alabama
Sir, I beg to report to you that your assignment to destroy track along the Montgomery and West Point Railroad between Montgomery and Oppoaloka Alabama has been successful and we are continuing our mission to destroy rebel supply lines into Georgia.
I received your order a week and a half prior and personally reconnoitered the area, while sending my staff to bring in the rest of my Kentuckians to join me. I found a suitable camping spot on a plantation along the Tallapoosy River and foraged for supplies. Fortunately the land owner was gracious for our presence and offered us full use of his property for headquarters. The men arrived from various points east and west and we commenced to organising for the upcoming raids.
Thursday we forayed into Montgomery and had lunch on the rebel president's front parlor, from there we went a few blocks to pay respect to a Great musician named Williams who has sang many life songs that fit even us men from Kentucky to a "T". After touring the local terrain around a 4 county area, we arrived back at Headquarters for briefing on our mission for the weekend.
On Friday morning the local teacher brought her little shit'lins to our camp and they invaded us, what seemed like the entire day. These kids were anxious to see what the army did and how we fought, what we ate, and I even taught the cuter older students how to dance. Captain's Privilege as you once told me, Sir.
Saturday on the 9th, we progressed up the railroad lines, burning and making neckties of the rails, destroying Chehaw Station and Cowles's Stations. We met a little resistance from some Home Guard and a battalion of Cadets from Tuskaloosa. The fight didn't last 30 minutes and we routed the secesh back to parts unknown.
Making our way back to Headquarters we grabbed a band and held a celebratory dance in the barn of our Host. Some of those young lasses that I taught to dance returned and engaged our younger troopers for hours on end. Needless to say two of our NCOs ended up on extra duty for disorderly conduct. I will not include a report on their activities that brought up such charges but should I have been a slightly younger officer, I might have joined them in their revelry.
Sunday we rode on up the previous day's trail and continued up towards Auburn and Ofuskegeelokka, or however you spell it. We destroyed about 50 rail cars of supplies and 15 stores before being hit on the right by elements of Clanton's Brigade of Alabama Cavalry. We pushed them off the field and headed back towards Montgomery.
I give you this report of our actions as I sit in the emptiness of the Tallassee Confederate Armory. The machinery having been moved sometime before we attacked the rebels in Selma. The men have been given a furlough to provision new horses and rid ourselves of these jackasses that you gave us in Bethel Church. I must say that the men are behaving better than they did 1 year ago, having had so many engagements now under their eyes. I am proud to have been elected their Captain and I will continue to do my best to learn them the ways of the force that my father taught me from his father and so such.
I await further orders, Sir.
Your humble servant,
Captain Packmule
7th Kentucky Cavalry
Comments