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Regiment: 5th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: George G. Meade, Ulysses S. Grant
Camp near Brandy
Virginia April 23rd/64
Dear Wife
I thought that I
would write a few lines to
you this afternoon to let you
know that I am well and in
good Spirits hoping that they
may find my little family the
same it is Saturday afternoon
and all we have to do is to
clean our guns and get ready for
inspection this evening we was
out a target shooting this
forenoon yesterday we had a
Corps review it was a grand
sight the review was near Stevensburg
General Grant General Mead and
other Generals to numerous to
mention besides other officers more than
you could shake a stick at, I
found Thomas and Lieut Ives I
calculated to went over to the
26th to day and stopped over Sunday
but I was called as Supernumerary
to day and Tomorrow I go on grad
so that I shall not get there this
time, Orders came yesterday for
us to pack our overcoats to send
to Alexandera where they will
be kept for us until next fall
if we want them, we are having
fine weather here now the roads
are a drying up fast there is
a rumor through camp this after
noon that we march tomorrow
morning at seven o’clock but I
guess that we will not but probably
we shall in a few days but where
we shall go to I cannot tell and
it does not make much differents
to in as long as I have got it to
day, The boys from Iosee are all well
except E. C. Wright and Noah Vangorden
they are not able to do duty
Noah went to the hospital this
morning, The talk is now that
the mail is a going to be stopped
from going out but not from
coming in but whether it is
so or not I cannot tell if it
is you must not borrow any trouble
about me but write to me as
often as you can if it is not
stopped from going both way
and I do not know as it will
stop at all r not but I hope
not, Julia I have been to
the Creek this afternoon to wash
my socks and feet I have got
all four pair yet but one
pair wants mending and I am
going to do it as soon as they
get dry, Wouldent you like to see
me a doing my own mending why
I am most as handy as a woman
well Julia I wanto hear from
you about these times pretty bad
and I hope that I shall I shall
look from now every evening
and hope that I shall not look
in rain in your last you wrote that
James was worse again I think
that he must be very Gardner I
think that mother must have been
hands full and probably sick
by this time herself give my best
respects to her and tell her that
these gloves that she gave me have
kept my hands warm a great many
times since I have been in Virginia
and are good yet but I think that
I shall haveto throw them away,
give my respects to all of the friends
tell H
[ ? ] that I would like to have
him write and tell me how the wheat
looks and how he and his little woman
are a getting along tell Frank that Wat
is well if she is with you give
Freddy all the pie that he wants and tel
Harriett to be a good girl and be a good
girl yourself and write to me often for I
do like to hear from you write how the potatoes
come out and whether you are a going to have wheat
enough but I think that you will
this from your husband Simeon B. Merrill
[On Envelope:]
Mrs. Julia Merrill
Arland P.O.
Jackson Co
Mich.
