Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/burge-caroden-s/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp Scott, July 5th/61.
Dear Mother:
Another birth-day
has passed & left your son
of age. It makes me feel
sad to think that the time
has come which, according to
law, makes me my own, – throws
me upon my own resources.
It makes me feel sad because
so much of my life has
passed and so little accom-
plished. I want to do some
good; but it seems as if I had
never done much. And here
I think I am willing to do all
my duty, but how to do it
troubled me. We have a good
number of Christians, & have
prayer meetings two evenings
in a week; and one of our
company I think has become
a christian. But what is
this among so many? There
is much to be done, but we
need much of the Spirit to
enable us to do it.
Congress met yesterday, & elected
a speaker, Mr. Grow, of Penn.
W hope now that it will
soon be known what we
shall do. Let us pray that
the Spirit may guide these
men in what they do, whether
they know it or not.
Some of our boys were
then at the meeting of Congress
They said that a
deathless
deathlike silence reigned when
the names of the seceded states
were called. None of the southern
states were represented save Tenn.
Missouri, Kentucky & Virginia.
They elected a speaker in about
twenty minutes. I hope they
may be as united in everything.
We ought to have had our
pay before now; but I don’t know
when we shall get it. I wish you
could send me a little money.
When I get my pay from
the government I think I
will get me a good flute.
I could thus use much time
which would be otherwise wasted.
Your obedient son
Caroden.
P.S. The mail has come
in to day and no letter.
Why don’t you write? I have
only rec’d one letter from you
since I left Detroit. What is
the trouble? Do you think
that I have no feelings
or don’t the letters come right?
You don’t know how anxiously
I watch the mails. I don’t
know, but it seems to that I
like to hear from home
almost
as often as you want to hear from
me. For fear there is a mistake
I will give you the directions again.
Direct
C.S. Burge
Company K, 2d Reg
2nd Reg. Mich. Infantry,
Washington D.C.
Have you put on Mich. Infantry
every time
