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https://micivilwar.com/authors/pointon-mair/
Regiment: 6th Wisconsin Infantry
Battles Mentioned: Antietam, Maryland
Historical Figures:
HeadQuarters 4th Brigade 1st corps 1st Division
Camp near Belle Plain Va
April 18th 1863
Dear Brother + Sister
I received yours
of 13th tonight Glad to hear you are
well I am well at present and hope
to continue So.
I sent you a comforter
by mail to keep for me In the note
I said we was going to move We was
all ready had 8 days rations in our
Knapsacks and harvesacks All a
Soldier is allowed to carry now is
1 shirt 1 Blanket 1 Rubber Blanket 1 piece
tent 2 pair socks That is so they can
carry 5 days rations in the Knapsack
and 3 in harvesacks Rather heavy
But it grows lighter every day It rained
all night and the roads was impassable
for Artillery the day we was ordered to
march
Our Cavalry is out on a
raid towards Culpepper Court House
we heard they had gone beyond the
Court House captured 5000 of the Rebs
also that Brigadier Genl Aiverall was killed
and the Harris Light Cavalry was
cut up badly The cavalry blew up all
the culverts and burned all the water tanks
on the R. R. clear to the Rapidau River
The Cavalry is doing something now
The saying used to be Who ever saw a
dead cavalry man no one could ever
answer it before I dont know how
Soon we will move I hope before long
We hard of the Reports of our Gun Boats
at Charleston S.C. As near as I can
learn it was nothing more than a
reconnoicence I hope our forces will Succed
It would be a hard blow for them
I have often thought about me being
out of the Company It seems to me
as though I must be kept out of the Co
Twice we was ordered back to our Co
And then it was countermanded I would
have stood a poor chance at Antietam
All of our Boys got hit 5 was all there
was in the Co day after the fight one
of them had 7 Ball holes in his clothes
Lieut Pruyn Sargt then had the rim
of his hat shot away father close to
his head But if I had been with the
Co. and passed through all safe I would
have been Orderly Sargeant now
But I am satisfied with it the
way it is Mother wrote me She
was going to build a house and
She wanted me to send her $50 as
Soon as we get our pay And I am
going to send it her as soon as the
Paymaster pays us He had ought
to have been here long ago All the
Brigades are being paid The 2d Brigade
was paid today We will soon be
along I guess I am glad you sent
her Some money Fanny has $30 which She
will give to Mother I think with our
combined efforts we will be able
to get her a house I neaver will feel
easy until she has a home How glad
I shall be when I go home to find Mother
In a house of her own By the way I
saw Emily’s picture I would not know
her if I should meet her She is more
than a head taller than when I left
If Samuel has grown as fast as Emma
he is very large By now He has been
a great help to Mother while I have
been gone Mothers last letter said
George had turned democrat He
calls himself a Union loving democrat
He wrote me saying he had changed
in his politics He wanted to know
what we was fighting for He said
nothing but a few Blacks or as much
as to say we was fighting for the
Niggar I tried to show him we was
fighting for the Union and that we
could Save the Union easer by freeing
the Slaves For they was a great help to
the Rebs If they had no Slaves part of their
Army would have to take the plow in
the place of the Musket He has not
answered it yet. I would have tried hard
to have got a furlough But I thought
It would cost to much And I had
better send Mother what it would
take to pay my way I hope it wont
be long before we do meet I can remember
how you look I would like to see Sister
and Effie Wyman is in the engineer corps
now he is well sends his respects to all I
must not close with my love to all
Your affectionate Bro
Mair Pointon
To P + A Pointon
Trenton
P.S. I sent Mother Wymans
and my likeness
