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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
June the 1 /64/
Dear Clara I once more write
to you it has been a long time
since I halve hird from
you but trusting that you
ar well yet and enjoying
your self good. I halve been
looking for a letter for
some time but no letter
came if I could remember
what I wroat in my
last one mebey I
could gess but I can
not bring to mind
what it was best
[ ? ]
I am writing under the
rebles fire their balls
ar flying over our heads
all of the time there are
about ½ mile frome hear
and our picket is in
front on a hill and the
rebs ar on a low peas
of ground and as they
ar shoating at the picket
they halve to sight tight
and they shoot ones and
they fall in our camp
we halve been hear six days
and evry day they halve
been shooting night and
day thare is not five minits
but thare is not five minits
but thare is shooting day or
night, I do not know what
to think of it, we do not
try to drive them nor
do they, we both hold
the same ground that we
did the first day + halve
not been out on the line
for two days I got kicked
by a horse and it keep
me in camp but I think
that I shall try them
to morrow again, I think
some times that I will keep
out of danger but before
I know it I will be out
running in their pickets
or in side of their lines
last Monday I was in
side of their lines and
run on top of their post
I fired both times and was
fired at once their was
two more with me but they
was so scaret that they
never tried to shout but
told me to shout I would of taking
to or three prisners but when I orded
them to serender and they was coming
up to do some of our men said shot
them and it scart them so that they
run away they was in five rods
of me then I fired at them but did
not hit them jest belarm them they
had thre hundred and more had to
it is so dark that I halve to close
good by my Dear Clara Ira
June the 6 1864 Georgia
Clara as I could not
send this out and I
got your last letter to
day so I thought that i
write a few lines in
this and send it along
for I halve not time to
write we ar advancing
on to Atlanta we ar
with in 25 miles of
[ ? ]
Clara do not mind what
I said in my last letter
I only mention it so that
you would not say eny
thing and I know that you
did not care
[ ? ] that i
[ ? ] to my hart is thire
do not mind eny thing I did
not know but why Otto night
write some thing about me
and I thought that I would
but you ar your gard write
my love
[ ? ] soon Ira Graves
[On Envelope:]
To A Husband.
Though Home scatter ‘round me
Miss Clara Simonds
Her treasures untold,
Watransville
And Friendship has crowned me
Tuscola
With garlands of gold;
State of Mich
Oh! what are life’s treasures
When sorrow for thee,
Each goblet outmeasures
Joy filleth for me?
I turn me with sadness
From Mirth’s smiling train,
What measure has gladness
to Thrill me again,
Since thou hast departed
To regions afar,
Where brave the true-hearted
The dangers of war?
Oh! others delighting
In pleasures of earth,
Are often uniting
In circles of mirth;
But there is one pleasure
Belonging to me
All others outmeasures
‘Tis praying for thee.
