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Regiment: 17th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned: South Mountain, Maryland
Historical Figures: Ambrose E. Burnside, Jefferson Davis
opposite Fredricksburg Jan 25the /63
Dear Aunt
I received your most kind and Welcome letter last evening
and was glad to hear from you and to learn that you are all well Your letter
found us all well except Charles He has got a verry bad cold & can hardely
speak but we are in hopes that it will soon be better for the weather is not as
bad know as it was last week Perhaps that you have heard all about the move-
ment of the army of the Potomac The rebs have ghot a sign up on the other side
of the river Burnside stuck in the mud Quite joke on the old fellow I
should think that he would get his ideas make up pretty soon The soldiers are
all loseing all confidence in him and if thare hant differrent works made soon
thare will be trouble We hear by the troops that have gone back to their old
camp that Jeff Davis offerd to detail man to help them build their bridge across
the river help them get their cannon out of the mud and when they had got across
he would choose his men to drive them back So it appears by that that he was
prepared for them and had met them at the point whare we intended to cross We
wer the lucky ones of the block again and staid in our huts The weather during
that time was verry cold and rainy Perhaps if it had not of been for the rain
we should have been in battle before this late our for we wer in readiness to
start at anny hour Kept three days rations in our Havesacks for five days then
the order was countermanded & we have lived in some peace every since You wanted
to know if I could tell what the next movements wer I cannot tell anny thing
about it, perhaps not neer as much as those that are at home but after the move-
ment is made we verry likely know more about it for we have a chance to see a
grate share of it ourselves Well aunt we have been here so long in this
lonesome place that I hardly know what to write One of my school mates that
was killed at the Battle of South Mountain has been taken up and is know laying
beside his friends that have departed before him Does it look possible that
one could be carried so far after so long a time but how much better his folks
must feel to have him buried at home than to of lain on that lonesome mountain
I received a letter from home They wer all well I have also got Fathers and
Edwins pictures How I wish that you could see them They look so nice
Well I will know close Give my love to all inquiring friends and write soon
good by from
DE WITT
