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https://micivilwar.com/authors/steadman-enos-s/
Regiment: 26th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp near Petersburg, VA.
Aug. 6th, 1864
Dear Brother,
I have written home once before this week and send you a Harpers
Monthly exhibiting the scenes and describing the place where you met me
about a year ago under circumstances which made me more happy to see
you then I had ever been before at meeting you. The scene brought very
vividly to my mind the events and feelings of that time. It does not seem but
a little while ago, yet the scenes and changes that have occurred since then
show me that though I had been in the service one year and passed through
all that I thought I could of the miseries of this war, that I had not taken the
first degree of initiation in the horrors of this stupendous thing, I did not
think then that in one year I should be south of the James and have passed
through more than fifty days of harder fighting had yet occurred, have
seen our regiment cut to pieces and reduced down to the size of one
company, have my comrades marching morning strong and full of hope and
life call me to them on the Battlefield before night and pale in death, take my
hand and tell me that they must die. All this I have seen till my heart has
grown weary and sick, and I thought that my days were to be attended by
such scenes until I met the same fate, I cannot go on forgetful of the scenes
of the past. I cannot forget the fate of many boys whose future was as bright
and who loved life as much as I, and though days and weeks have elapsed
since, yet every day and night I think of the scenes of the past, and know that
as many more bloody battles must be fought and thousands more must fall
in their blood. As the bright waters of the James with its panoramic view of
shipping greeted my sight, after six weeks gloomy campaigning from the
Rapidan down, it reminded me of Old Point Comfort of Hampton Roads and
Chesapeake and I thought that I would be willing to go through another fit of
sickness if I could go home with you and spend a few days of peace in old
Michigan. It is two years ago today since I enlisted so if I were out now I
should be clear of the draft and have my 75 dollars bounty, but that is the
thing of it if I were out, only one more year to serve. I used to think that if a
fellow got through two years he was pretty safe for the next -but my next is
likely to be the worst of all to get through. One time as we were going into an
engagement -a fellow whose time would be out in half an hour refused to go
in, the Col. Commanding his Reg. heard him and rode up and told him that if
he went in there would be a chance for his life, but if he would not that he
would shoot him, the fellow went in, and was shot dead the first volley from
the enemy.
An officer came up to me that day and told me to shoot any man that did
not keep up, and said that he had shot one or two of our men that day whose
time were out, and did not like to go in but I did not shoot anyone. In a few
days after, I saw that officer shot through the body himself. It was the
Garibaldi Reg. that day that troubled us – their time was out and they did not
want to fight. I must close now, I will write again soon,
Good Bye, Eno
Why don’t you join the Christian or sanitary commission and come down
here Sept. You will have your expenses paid & some wages and be clear of
the draft.
