Information Sheet

 

 

R         Nelson, Alfred N.

311                  Letter, 1861.

                                    One folder, photocopy.

 

 

 

This is a letter written on 25 November 1861 by Alfred N. Nelson of Co. F, 10th Iowa In­fan­try, at Birds Point in Mississippi County, Missouri.  Nelson mentioned camp sickness and op­era­tions in southeastern Missouri.

 

Birds Point was located across the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois, and the mouth of the Ohio River.  The area was occupied by Federal forces in the summer of 1861 as protection for the instal­lation at Cairo, and as a base for operations along the Mississippi River and into the in­te­rior of southeastern Missouri.  Birds Point no longer exists.  It was ravaged by a tor­nado in 1896, and by a fire in 1905.  Later it was almost completely destroyed by encroachment by the Missis­sippi River.

 

The 10th Iowa infantry moved to Birds Point on 12 November 1861, from Cape Gi­rardeau.  The regiment saw action at Bloomfield and Charleston before moving south against the Confed­er­ate position at New Madrid/Island No. 10.

 

 

 

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