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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
St. Louis Dec 27th
Friday 1861
Dear Father
I take this
time and good chance
to inform you of my
health which is on the
gain at least you would
thought so if you had
been here to of seen me
dive into my Christmas
rituals which I did to day
for the first time to
speak of. I have been sick
for a week or so the boys
prepared a Christmas dinner
wensday but I was not able
to eat anything. I smoked
one of each & toms cigars
to night for the first time
I tell you it seems a
little like home again
to have something good
to eat besides dry bread &
poor coffee without milk
or sugar in it, the boys
are all having a fine time
now accept Frank & Lew they
are sick yet. Wing Agnew
hitched up my horse with
his this afternoon & drew
a load of grain they made
a staving team together
fifty of the boys drew their
rubber over coats yesterday.
You must thank Mrs Murry
some 500 times & tell her
I will make the best use
of those presents she sent
I can the boy think I beat
them all on dryed beef & wine
when they say that beef in
the box they all made a
grab for it but it took them
down a little when they
saw my name on it
the boys all had a taste of
Mrs Millers wine for dinner,
I dont know as I can say
much about our lieutenant
Col. I know I cant say any
good of him because they aint
any one that likes him and as
for his getting drunk I do
not know. Whether that is
so or not I know he likes
whiskey as well as any one
there is so many reports
spread abroad here evry day
that we dont mind any
of them now. the report now
is that we have got to leave
as soon as we get out arms
and that will be pretty soon
I have got provisons enough
to last me as long as we
stay here if we don’t stay over
six months, that can of
Oysters the girls sent us pound
to be butter if it had been
April we would been fooled
we were fooled as it was but me
haint a going to tell anyone
did the boys do any damage
to Andrew Orsborns grocery
rather tough on the boys I
should think they dident play
sharp did they. Chan lays here
reading a novel Hank and
De Ables set him doing some
thing else we are having fine
weather here now warm and
nice our Artillery came the
others day there is regiments
leaving here evry day I should
think by the appearance of thing
that we would leave soon only
our battallion goes when any
goes. I shall have to bid
good bye write soon
and often Charles Potter
