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Regiment: 1st U.S. Volunteers Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman
Washington D.C.
April 23rd 1865
My Mary.
My Own Darling Wife.
“Clarke”
has turn ed up at last. “Blake”
and I made our grand entrce
into this place about noon to-
day. We left Detroit by way of
the boat for Cleveland thursday
night. got faily under way when
the pilot in the darkness ran
her aground where we had to
stay until noon Friday. left
Cleveland at eight yesterday
making the run here in a
little over twenty four hours.
I shall report in the morning
and come home if possibly.
Sherman has stuck his foot in
it and can no more be the big
dog he was two months ago. Grant
old “useless” has gone to see about
him in person. “Blake” and
myself had quite an adventure
coming down. At Detroit we
fell in with an officer of the
5
th Mich. Cav. calling himself Capt.
Berdan. We had
[ ? ] times
playing cards on the boat and after-
ward on the cars. On the same train
was a young woman with a child
some two or three months old. She
told “Blake” she was going to Washing-
ton to see her husband who was woun-
ded and it was feared would lose
a leg. She appeared to be much
pleased with our fun and laughed
heartily with us as did all in the
car. she would now and then
exchange a word with the Capt.
and “Blake” which I took as evidence
that she thought a soldier was all
right. The Capt. thought otherwise
and by telling her he knew her
husband through the day yesterday
won her confidence so that she
asked
asked or allowed him to carry
her carpet
t bag and wait upon
her considerable. come night
he asked her if she did not
want to take a sleeping car as it
was tiresome riding and if so he
would procure one for her. She told
him she would. the Capt. then came
back to another Capt (Dodge) of the
20
th Mich. Infy. and asked him to
procure a berth. Dodge went to do
so when Berdan goes back to the
lady and what was said I know
not, but she prayed for a pistol to
lay the scamp out. he left for an-
other car. Dodge came back with
the berth ticket but meanwhile
“Blake” noticed something wrong and
went to talking with her. I had
not spoken to her but seeing the
thing looking warm went up to
her seat where she was telling “Blake”
that she had been insulted and would
have revenge or in other words, would
“bleed” the Capt before his muster
should call him in the natural way.
I told the lady we would put the
gent off the train. She did not want
us to get into trouble but “Blake” and
I told her we would take our chances
on that head. Dodge presented her the
ticket he had procured but she said
she did not know but he was as bad
as the Capt and though we all pledged
our honor that we were only
[ ? ]
by a desire to assist her. She would
not accept. We politely
[ ? ] her
Capt. to leave which he took the
hint and did. This morning I
offered my services to help her in
changing her baggage, and in
conversation with her learned
she was the wife of Major Fitzgibbons
of the 14
th Mich. Infty. When says
“Clarke” have an idea Capt. Berdan
hasn’t seen the last of this affair.
She found her friends at the depot
and after asking us to come up
to see her and the Maj. she tanked
us and bade us good bye. After
we had been to our hotel a short
time Capt. John Rourke 1
st Ill.
Lt. Artillery presented himself as a
friends of the Maj. and asked us
to call on the them and stated that
he should use all possible means to
find Berdan and when found should
offer him the chance of life facing
a pistol at ten paces.
If Berdan is not in Washington
we think he is coming and good
lookout is being kept. The end is
not yet and some day a tragedy from
real life will be an item for
newspaper writers. When, what
creatures we are circumstances
make us unmake us. Your letter
written when I was in Detroit a week
ago. I received when there last. It was by
accident though. “Blake” and I was hav-
ing a time and he proposed
not we
should go to the Post Office and inquire for
letters and enquire for every body we
could think of on doing so your letter was
handed me and I thought I would not
make further inquiries.
With much love and some kiss
Ever your
Gardner
[On Envelope:]
Mrs. Mary B. Clark
Grand Rapids
Michigan
