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https://micivilwar.com/authors/bennett-henry/
Regiment: 9th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned: Corinth, Mississippi
Historical Figures: Ormsby M. Mitchel, William W. Duffield
[Eagle holding shield and arrows]
Camp Parkhurst
Liberty and Union
Tenn. April 6th
Now and Forever!
Dear Parents it
is with much
pleasure that I
now improve this opportunity of
writing two you once more the mail
came in yesterday but I did not
get any letters nor neither did Si
I am well and never was in better
spirrits than I now am we are encampt
now about a mile southeast of Mulfress
burro..Tenn..and have campt wright in
a secesh dooregard it is a beautiful
place it is a rise of ground and
a large beautiful spring when we came
here the man asked if thare was any thing
that he could give or do so that we
would not camp on his ground the
Gen..Duffield told him that it was
a good campping place and he guess that
they could not find any better place
and thare was a good spring and it was
handy and that he should camp thare and
if they done any damage that they would
pay for it and are here yet Gen Michel
has gon on with his Division and left
us here two guard the place as usual but
they are not all fool sin the old 9
th
if they be the out scourings of Michigan
for the day after we campt here a negro
came and told the Col that thare was
some rebel clothing in his masters house
I was on guard that day and just come
off and up come Lieut.. Col. Fox and
the officer of the guard and the Seargent
of the guard and the first relief 17 in
all went down town we was placed all
around the block with orders two let
no person out nor in curiosity was up
two it highest p
[ ? ] I knew that thare
was a bird in thare and that they wanted
two catch him I kept my eyes pealed
and by and by they fetch out some
[ ? ] and
[ ? ] the white folks kept
asking what they was a going two do I
did not chose two tell them just
then and all a round you could see
groups of darkeys huddel two gether
and talk and point and laugh but
the whites drawed down their mouth
as long as your arm after a while we
was rilief and we took it double quick
two see what they had got once thare
they had coats pants shirts for the
rebels the making cost 408 dollars
they was all sorts and all kinds but
they had two have the US buttons
on they cant give up the old eagle but
the way the wommen talked two the Col
is a shame but he did not seam two care
what they said they called him everthing but
a deacent man and called the soldiers Northen
Abolishinst some of the men turned round
and damed them up and down and told them
what he thought of them but still they
had two have their clock a going but
before we left they asked the Col
forgiveness we put the clothing into the
wagon and had not went for befour we
saw four of the men and the officer
of the guard with the man that owned
the clothen we took them up two Gen
Michel and he took the man but let
us have the clothen they thing a good
deal of the 9 we have two several
others but cannot write any more
now we have several negroes in
camp two cook for us but I must
close for this time from Henry
we have got a man that has just
took a man that has ben through
the rebel army and he says
that he thinks that the rebels
will not hold out much
longer and that they have
not provison enough two
last them till harvest
but that is no telling
any thing about this man he may be a spy
and he may not it is not for me two say if he is
or not but I almost firgot two tell you that the
9 took the rebel mail the other day and it contained
very valubel news it has let out the secret
whe has got rebel propperty around here and
whare their weir on letter stated that thare would
not be any battal thare this was at Corinth
and the sesesh here says wight out boldly
that they cant whip us for they done shot
at Donilson but we wear such fools that
we did not know it he said that the North
had men and money and that they could
carey on the ware as long as they pleased
if that is the case secesh is about played
out and this rebelon is crushed but I
must close for I want two write
Mr Anna you must not expect
a letter as often as you did not because
I dont write but because it cant go through
as quick as it
did at West Point
you must write often for
I do and give my love
two all from Hank
