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Regiment: 1st Michigan Light Artillery
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Apr 6th 1863
Marpresboro Tennesee
Dear Brother & Sister
I recd your more
than welcome (of Mar 27
th) today I was
almighty glad to hear from you again
it found me tough & hearty
I am glad to hear that you get such good
wages but by gracious a man needs
good wages to make any thing these hard
times Well John I am glad to learn that
you done that buisiness up satisfactory
to both parties Lewis says he is satisfied
& I am sure that I am.
About that deed I want you to take
good care of that for me until I come
back (if I ever do) I don’t want it here
for I have no place to keep it.
you see we are liable to lose everything
here at any time especially when we
are on the march. & I think we are apt
to march at any time now for we have been
getting horses & we are drilling every day
we just got in from drill & I thought
I would answer your letter right away
I got a letter from Harvey & Hatty the other
day & they sent me one that they got from
Jim Him & family is well he said he
had not had a letter from me since last
October. Well I have written him five
since that time so if he aint got them
it aint my fault Jim wanted to know
where in hell I was whether I was dead
or alive well I wrote him another letter
after I got that, he is going to work
for Wm Filkins for $20 per month for 8 months
Well jack if you will get them papers made out
& send them down here I will sign them &
have them witnessed so if I do happen to
slip ing wind why you will be all hunck
& I would rather you would have it
than anyone else in gods world
These is lots of Hadley boys down here
& some Lapeer boys & I guess some of
them will get out alive if I should not
happen to, So you would be safe if
I don’t get back. But at the same time
I believe I shall come out all sound
on the goose, I aint afraid of Camp
sickness but I might happen to get in
the way of a bullet. But I guess I can
Dodge them yet awhile being I dodged them
so long through so many Heavy Battles
well sir I have been through as hard faught
battles as has been faught in this war &
three of them: You must give my best
respects to Mr & Mrs tuttle and their folks
tell them that I am a living soldier yet
Lewis don’t find things as he expected to Carltons
so he says he is going to move back on his
own place. Well Bully for him he staid
there about as long as I thought he would
agreable. You see it is imposible for two
familys to live in one hut any length of
time agreable. By God if I had a wife I
would not have any of my relatives
living with me for there is always trou
ble, well John when we draw our pay I
will send what money I can spare to you
& you can pay it on that Note & have it
endorsed on the back of it,
Carlton peck is well Jim Niles is bet
ter he has been quite sick Herman Wood
is well We are having pretty dry weather
here just now the Dust flies like the very
Devel we have no particular war
news lately. The health of this company
is pretty good, it is getting near night
so I cant write much more now.
Well it is the rumor that we are going back
to Kentucky but I don’t know whether we
will or not you had better direct your
letters to Nashville for the distributing
office is there & it will come to me any
where then. If I am where I can express
any thing when we get out next pay I will
send you some things. (an Army blanket &
some other things) maybe I wont be where I can send
then. Our briggade is being split up & send in
every directions. So god only knows which
way we may go. I am helping cook for a squad
of men so I am making twenty Dollars per month
in our days well John you must give my
best respects to all inquiring friends and
good looking gals & war widows I want
you to go up and look at my lot some sun
day when you have time & see what you
think of it. See how much pine timber
there is on it & get old
[ ? ] to look
to the pine timber & see if any of old Richards
pups steals it & I will pay him for his trouble
if any of Richards does steal any pine
off from that & I can prove it Ill make
hunt their holes when I get back.
That is what I am afraid of if there is any
pine on it. Then Dambd thieves will steal it
will I guess you will think there is
nonsense enough on this for one sheet of
paper so I will close you & net both
write so good bye
E B VanMarter
to John & Net VanMarter
No 13 Direct to E B VanMarter
of Loomis Battery
1
st Division 2
nd Briggade
Army of the Cumberland
Nashville
Tennessee
