Following are excerpts from a letter written by then-First Lieutenant Rudolph Mueller to Colonel Friedrich Hecker shortly after the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 2, 1863). Hecker had been wounded during Stonewall Jackson's surprise attack on the Federal Eleventh Corps, and was in hospital in Philadelphia. Mueller (whose photo appears on this site's home page) was in camp near Brooke's Station, Virginia.
The self-doubt and poignancy of the aftermath of the Union defeat is evident. Even more so is the sense of loss engendered by the death of so many comrades (the 82nd Illinois in 40 minutes of fighting lost 155 killed and wounded of the approximately 400 men engaged) in this, the regiment's first battle.
The Battle of Gettysburg was six weeks away.
(Translation from the original German courtesy of Hildegard Benedick)
My dear Colonel Friedrich Hecker,
After having established camp and gotten more or less settled about one mile from our former camp, I am writing to you with my most cordial wishes for your speedy recovery. Salomon (note: Lt. Col. Edward Salomon) and Eugen (note: Adjutant Eugene Weigel) have written to you before I did. The latter has honored me with his brotherly embrace, however, I don't actually know what I have done to deserve it.
...The change of camp has made a good impression on the men. Instead of living in the middle of many abandoned and empty huts of the old camp which, of course, makes us reflect on the fate of our former comrades, we now live on a beautiful vacant hill, surrounded by woods. On the hillside nearby are the headquarters of Generals Schurz and Schimmelfennig...
As I learned today, the official news is that our entire army will lie quietly and await the replenishment of the regiment by means of conscripts. I dare not judge whether this lying still is wise; I do not quite see the reason for it. As a result of the above news, I have also asked for a 15-day furlough...
All things considered, our wounded in the hospital feel well. They are enjoying the best of care. I'm visiting the hospital almost daily. Pabst was significantly better today, the bullet is still in him. Also with Balck, in whose wound the bullet still remains. It cannot be taken out, which irritates him a lot. Hoppe is slightly wounded in the leg, and feels better. Four men of my 46 fell (note: those in Mueller's Company E), 15 were wounded. Of the latter, 7 were captured and paroled, 2 were captured unwounded. We amputated legs of two of the wounded. Unfortunately, my orderly Zaisser, the good fellow, is also among the dead. He volunteered for a reconaissance mission and fell victim to an enemy bullet.
The evaluation concerning us seems to be changing little by little for the better. What a pity that our brave regiment--one can boldly call it thus--came under fire for the first time in such unfavorable circumstances. Unfortunately, it was simply not possible to prevent what happened and if at all a mistake was made it was that we didn't retreat earlier, and in an orderly manner. Nevertheless, we have shown that we can hold our own like all others.
The 26th Wisconsin, ours, and the 157th New York were the only ones who resisted the first assault, ours being the last to give in and retreat under a terrible crossfire, almost being encircled. Jackson was to our front, that's why it isn't improbable that he was shot by our regiment (note: Mueller was unaware that Jackson was in fact shot by his own men quite a bit later on the day of the battle). In any event, we must hold on to our claim to have fired the lucky shot.
With the highest esteem,
Rudolph Mueller, Lieutenant
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