Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/snow-charles-d/
Regiment: 20th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Near Fredricksburg, VA
Feb 4th 1863
Dear Little Wife,
I had the pleasure this morning to receive a letter from my dear the 28th of
Jan and a paper and the pair of socks you sent a long time ago by mail. Also the
paper with a letter in it from Alice dated the 28th of October. The socks could not
have got here in a better time for it is very cold. The ground is froze as hard as a
rock. I never saw it much colder in Michigan than it was here last night. My
dear I am very happy to hear that you are better. Frankie, you need not worry
about my enlisting in the regulars for I should only enlist for the balance of my
three years. There is lots of volunteers enlist in the regulars but they do not
enlist for more than their time. The regular artillery especially the heavy artillery
is great deal easier than the infantry. I don’t think I should enlist in a battery
where their guns were less than 32 pound cannon. They don’t have to carry a
knapsack or walk when they move and they don’t move near as much as the
infantry and one generally is in less danger. The heavy artillery did not cross at
Fredricksburg. They were on the side of the river out of range of the enemies
guns. They move firing over our heads all the time. I tell you when one of them
goes off it makes every thing tremble. I have seen some of the volunteers that
went into the light artillery they say they would rather be there a great deal than
in the infantry. No my dear you need not be afraid that I will do anything that
will keep me away from you any longer than I can help. Frankie I made a
mistake when I told you I weighed 175 it is 165. That is about 15lbs heavier than
I ever weighed before. I did not think of the mistake till I had the letter sealed. I
am well and are Oll and Horace and all the boys. There is a chance now if a man
has very important business for two out of every hundred to get a furlough for
15 days. I thought some of trying to get one but it would cost me 40 or 50 dollars
and it would so short a time I thought I would not. I sent you my likeness and a
letter with $35.00 in it last Friday which I presume you have got by this time.
You say my dear that you took the liberty to write to Jim Miller. It is no liberty. I
don’t to have any correspondence with any one withstanding my little wife
knowing all about it, no no. Well my dear I must close till tomorrow. I may have
some more to write.
