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Regiment: 5th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: George B. McClellan, Israel B. Richardson
Munsons Hill Oct 1st 1861
My Dear
I am now seated under a pretty
shade tree in front of a mans house we are
here guarding the premises the New York 37
regiment are emcamped a short distance from
here and they are bound to destroy the premises
he is undoubtedly a seceth but our officers
have stationed a guard here. the New Yrokers
are perfict devils they are bound to take evry
thing they get there hands on they broke into
his house yesterday morning and broke Windows
tore open bureaus went into the cellar took
fish bacon +co, you can have know idea how
propperty’s destroyed in passing you will see large rice
dwellings but in a few moments they are all
in flamed. where I was on guard yesterday
I saw four hogs go by that they had
killed any quantity of chickens also a calf
But to your letter after waiting so long
I last evening received it which found me well
also gave the good news of your health for I feared you
were sick or dead
I think I wrote you last from meridian
Hill we were there a few days. we went
from there to Ft. Richardson where the third Mich
regiment are (I saw
[ ? ] and all of the
[ ? ] of the
boys) we had got evry thing fixed up nicely and
in ship shape and expected to stay there sometimes
but there is little use in making calculations here
we were there until Saturday evening last.
We had been that day on brigade [ ? ] and
were very tired when we were ordered to advance
on the rebels at Munsons Hill we were delivered
forty rounds of cattridge and expected a fight but
on arriving there the poor devils had fled we
slept in an open field that might and expected
an attack. we lay with our guns until
day lith. we expected all day yesterday (Sunday)
they would advance on us and in fact we
were formed into line of battle we could
see two or three regiments for away among the
distant hills and supposed they were rebels but
1. 3.
we were once happily disappointed for they found
to be a California the fifth regular and a New York
regiment it was a pretty sight when they
came nearer with collars flying and there bands
playing
Hail Collumbia and Yanke Doodle
We have been the advance regiment
each time we have moved and our picket
guards have also been the advance ones.
In almost anything else we might take this
as a compliment for Gen Richardson says the
Michigan boys make the best Solders and the
Fifth the steadiest and best behaved. Gen
McClelland also paid us a nice compliment
one week ago to day where we now are
I was on picket guard in sight of two
heavy fortifications and there pickets were shooting
each other evry sight they could get but now
they have all fled and we have over thirty
thousand men in the vicinity of us and there
are fifty five peicis of artillery in sight
We have with all of our other hard
fares a good eal of fun. last evening after
being relieved from guard I went down to
where our company were we found them in the
prettyest plase you could imagine it was in
a level pin grove the boys had fixed sleeping
places with the laws and the woods were all
light up by the camp fires and all were
felling first rate some telling stories other’s singing
songs and hums each following the beat of
his inclinations. you wrote me. you had on order
if you need anything you can get goods for it
or I presume you could get the cash from some
one at a shave I am afraid I can not send
you any money under a month yet for I learn
the troops are not until they are in the service
two months when I get it I send to you the first
thing you say it not make much differences about writing I
do not know as I was ever in a plase where the boys
were so anxious about getting letters if you only knew
how much good a letter does me you would write evry
week. how I would like to see Paul but I have a
connections that I shall see you again but of
course there is no certainty two of our regiment
have already died David Godrich was one but
I do not think it is sickly here of cours
among a thousand men some well be sick
and die but perhaps no more than at home
you must visit our fiends out there you must go
out and see about our things. but I do not
want you to work out if you do it will breake
me free verry bad. when I am so far away
