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Below are some quotes from letters and diaries belonging to soldiers that served in the 5th Wisconsin battery (Pinney's Battery) 1861 - 1865.
I have copies of over 350 letters and the diary from three members of the battery.
This includes the last letter written by Capt. Pinney before the battle of Stones River.
Thanks be to Capt. Oscar F. Pinney, Cpl. Wm. Ball and Pvt. Alexander Coates for leaving us such a wonderful record of the 5th Battery's activities during the war.
UNIFORMS
I have 2 undershirts and three over shirts, 2 pair of breeches, a good jacket, an over coat which serves at night as a quilt, a good blanket and a rubber one, a pair of shoes and a pair of boots which I wear turn-a-bout. - William Ball
ORDNANCE & WEAPONS
We have 4 light steel rifled 10 pound parrot guns with caissons and limbers to match.
We lack horses and harness.
Forby painted our cannon black and they look quite snaptious
William Ball 4-11-1862
Lt. Smith is delighted to find that he is in command of a section, that he has such fine horses and such light active boys to work his two howitzers which are chiefly used in close quarters and require rapid firing.
William Ball 4-28-186
RATIONS & COOKING
We can make a splendid meal out of toast bread, butter and molasses. William Ball 12-6-1861
I can beat you, Sib, at making coffee. My plan is this:
Put a tin pail over the stove fire with just as much COLD water in it as you wish coffee. Pour in the coffee at once. Let the whole thing come to a boil and then set it off for five minutes in which time it will cool a little. In this manner I make a cup of coffee without a ground in it and this, sweetened with sugar, makes a cup fit for a king or a high private in the front rank.
William Ball 12-25-1861
Our work is divided up – one cooking one day – another the next and so on till each has taken his turn – so, having 5 to divide the work among, I only have to cook once in 5 days.
William Ball 1-25-1862
In the night the boys found a dead hog, cooked it and ate it while there. Twas first rate. William Ball 4-3-1862
Take all the unsifted meal you want, pour Mississippi water in it, mix it up, and it is ready for the griddle. If you think of it add salt, if not don’t. William Ball 4-4-1862
Went out foraging today and succeeded pretty well. Got a half bushel of apples, My haversack full of potatoes, my canteen full of sorghum and one fourth of a hog.
Alexander Coates 8-27-1864
CAMPING
The streets run east & west and are about 40 ft wide, on each side of each street are 12 tents facing each other so that each battery has a street to itself. At the west end of each street are the officer’s tents.
William Ball 12-17-1861
Then spread my rubber blanket down by a fire – my woolen blanket “atop o’that” wrapped half of it around me and snoozed till morning. William Ball 4-3-1862
Last night we turned over our Sibley tents and had Shelter tents issued to us.
William Ball 12-12-1863
5 of us put up a tarpaulin to stay in and have a stove in it that our blacksmith made out of sheet iron. Paid a dollar for it
William Ball 10-26-63
ON CAMPAIGN
We had 20 miles to walk ere we reached New Madrid. Leaving our knapsacks at ogden to be brought on in the battery wagons. William Ball 1862
I have copies of over 350 letters and the diary from three members of the battery.
This includes the last letter written by Capt. Pinney before the battle of Stones River.
Thanks be to Capt. Oscar F. Pinney, Cpl. Wm. Ball and Pvt. Alexander Coates for leaving us such a wonderful record of the 5th Battery's activities during the war.
UNIFORMS
I have 2 undershirts and three over shirts, 2 pair of breeches, a good jacket, an over coat which serves at night as a quilt, a good blanket and a rubber one, a pair of shoes and a pair of boots which I wear turn-a-bout. - William Ball
ORDNANCE & WEAPONS
We have 4 light steel rifled 10 pound parrot guns with caissons and limbers to match.
We lack horses and harness.
Forby painted our cannon black and they look quite snaptious
William Ball 4-11-1862
Lt. Smith is delighted to find that he is in command of a section, that he has such fine horses and such light active boys to work his two howitzers which are chiefly used in close quarters and require rapid firing.
William Ball 4-28-186
RATIONS & COOKING
We can make a splendid meal out of toast bread, butter and molasses. William Ball 12-6-1861
I can beat you, Sib, at making coffee. My plan is this:
Put a tin pail over the stove fire with just as much COLD water in it as you wish coffee. Pour in the coffee at once. Let the whole thing come to a boil and then set it off for five minutes in which time it will cool a little. In this manner I make a cup of coffee without a ground in it and this, sweetened with sugar, makes a cup fit for a king or a high private in the front rank.
William Ball 12-25-1861
Our work is divided up – one cooking one day – another the next and so on till each has taken his turn – so, having 5 to divide the work among, I only have to cook once in 5 days.
William Ball 1-25-1862
In the night the boys found a dead hog, cooked it and ate it while there. Twas first rate. William Ball 4-3-1862
Take all the unsifted meal you want, pour Mississippi water in it, mix it up, and it is ready for the griddle. If you think of it add salt, if not don’t. William Ball 4-4-1862
Went out foraging today and succeeded pretty well. Got a half bushel of apples, My haversack full of potatoes, my canteen full of sorghum and one fourth of a hog.
Alexander Coates 8-27-1864
CAMPING
The streets run east & west and are about 40 ft wide, on each side of each street are 12 tents facing each other so that each battery has a street to itself. At the west end of each street are the officer’s tents.
William Ball 12-17-1861
Then spread my rubber blanket down by a fire – my woolen blanket “atop o’that” wrapped half of it around me and snoozed till morning. William Ball 4-3-1862
Last night we turned over our Sibley tents and had Shelter tents issued to us.
William Ball 12-12-1863
5 of us put up a tarpaulin to stay in and have a stove in it that our blacksmith made out of sheet iron. Paid a dollar for it
William Ball 10-26-63
ON CAMPAIGN
We had 20 miles to walk ere we reached New Madrid. Leaving our knapsacks at ogden to be brought on in the battery wagons. William Ball 1862
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