“Lost From the Company”
“Lost from the Company”
Name: Edwin Anderson
Date: November 24th, 1861
Location: Rolla, Missouri
Rolla, Mo November 24th, 1861
Dear Cousin,
I received your letter last evening it found me well but devilish cold for we are encamped on the top of one of them big rocky hills peculiar to MO. Which the wind whistles around and over like the devil and it has been doing that ever since we have been here last Saturday.
We left sprightly the Monday before we was 6 days on the road we had good and pleasant weather while on the march. The third night out I and Lee Dyer had a ? Of a good time, there was no hard tack to eat that night and Lee and I got on our horses and started out to buy some flour or most anything else to eat.
We had not more than gotten out of the lines than we overtook three young ladies. We rode out with them and got so ? with them that we could not part with them until we went all the way home with them, which was six miles from camp. We took supper with them and by that time it was getting late and after bidding them an affectionate farewell, we remounted our horses which were bare backed with nothing but their halters on we left their house at full speed and talking over the good time that we had our horses took the wrong road and as it was not plain, anyhow we could not find the night road again.
There we were lost we wandered around for some time and at last concluded to strike across the hills as near as we could guess in the direction of the camp. We traveled on till it was dark as ? When we came out of the brush into a road and we heard horses coming. We got out of the road to let them ride by fearing that they were secech… but they proved to be a squad of our own boys sent out to search for us. We was alright then but came very near sleeping in the guard house but we got excused that night by being put on extra duty. The girls were sting secesh but were of the right stripe.
I would like to be out to old Orleans once more, I believe I would have a good time. I guess that I will have to go to getting dinner.
Good by,
Give my love to all
Ed Anderson
I think that we will go to St. Louis in a few days.
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Biography:
We recently covered a letter on Edwin Anderson described in detail his death during a heroic charge at Sugar Creek, Arkansas. Today, we will be looking into Edwin with a little more detail to learn more about who he was.
Edwin Anderson was born February 23, 1840. I could not find out much about his early life. From what I can see, he was born either in Jacksonville, IL or Missouri. In September 1861, Edwin mustered into Company G, 1st Missouri Cavalry and was off to fight in a war well aware of the risks and dangers ahead of him. Regardless of the threats, he answered the call to arms and left home to the town of Rolla, which actually is no longer an incorporated town in Missouri.
The 1st Missouri Cavalry was involved in a number of skirmishes/battles throughout Missouri and Arkansas, including Elkhorn Tavern and Battle of Pea Ridge. This letter would be written shortly after Edwin being mustered in, and you can tell from his wording that he is very cautious and alert due to the high number of secessionists in the area at the time. They were also involved in some skirmishing in the area during this time, so it was dangerous to travel alone in an area like this. Edwin and Lee luckily made it back to camp without any problems. Unfortunately, as mentioned before, Edwin would be killed in action on February 17th, 1862 during a cavalry charge at Sugar Creek, Arkansas.
