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The day after the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky (8 October 1862), Quartermaster Charles F. Wilstach, Jr. took pen in hand to assure his widowed mother that he was safe and to also give her a brief account of the "Perrysville" fight. This is what he wrote, as reprinted in the 15 Oct 1862 Lafayette, Indiana Daily Courier:
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED The following letter from Quartermaster Wilstach to his Mother in this city [Lafayette, Indiana] will be read with interest:
ONE MILE BEHIND RESERVE DEAR MOTHER: Before this time you have, no doubt, heard of the action between our army and the enemy. Orders have compelled all Quartermasters to remain in the rear, and I have three times run into danger of arrest by efforts to reach the regiment with provisions, and only succeeded this morning in getting there with the understanding that I should return immediately with the wagons, after unloading. The 10th Indiana was in the engagement yesterday, and was said to have charged the enemy very gallantly. I only regret that I was not near enough to see the battle. The sight, from the surrounding hills, is described by those who was [sic] there, as magnificent, as the movements of both armies could plainly be seen by the naked eye. Our regiment lost four men killed and seven wounded. The names of the killed are as follows:-Corporals [Joel] Manka and [George W.] Stover; privates [John W. Pickeral [sic: Pickerell] and [James A.] Shoemaker, all of Company B, Capt Frank Gobin [sic: Goben] commanding [the] company [1]. Officers and men behaved as in all former times, with spirit and gallantry, and received the compliments of their associates of the 2d Brigade, and of General [Speed S.] Fry, (commanding 2d Brigade [1st Division, III Corps, Army of the Ohio]) with their accustomed modesty. I suppose that our young friend [Adjutant William E.] Ludlow [2] has, before this time, called to see you. I wish he was here now, and I know that he does [too]. Lieutenant Colonel [William B.] Carroll is a good and gallant officer, both in camp and in the field [3]. It is enough to say of him that he still enjoys that reputation, and he is worthy of it. Major Marsh B. Taylor led two companies into a close charge, driving the enemy before him [4]. Another charge was made by command of General Fry, of the whole of the 10th Indiana regiment and the 86th Illinois, of another Brigade [5], which Gen. Fry has pronounced as the most gallant charge that he has ever seen made, and the General is no new officer, but has seen service in this war and in Mexico. Major [Marsh B.] Taylor "of ours" was complimented on the field, by both Gen. Fry and Gen. [Charles C.] Gilbert [6]. News has just reached me that the enemy have [sic] fallen back beyond Perrysville, and if try we will have to move up in a short time. I will have to abandon this letter before it is concluded.
C[harles] F. Wilstach
[1] "Flanking company" B consisted of volunteers from the Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana area.
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