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Regiment: 1st Michigan Light Artillery
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
March 16th 63
Murfreesboro Tennessee
Dear Brother & Sister
As it is rather lonesome today I do not know
how to pass the hours away to any better advantage
than to sit down & write a few lines to my friends
I am well as usual Hoping these few lines will
find you both enjoying good health. It is
lonesome buisiness to lay here in camp these sun-
shiny days with nothing to do although our Brig-
gade is on fatigue duty. We have nothing to do
some of the boys are out playing Base Ball
& some are reaching the papers & some are
writing to their friends to pass away the lone-
some hours that is the way with camp life
we are having beautiful weather here old sol
shines out warm. I wrote a letter to Harveys
this forenoon so I thought I would spend the
afternoon in writing to you I recd your
letter of the 6
th on the 14
th & answered it.
I wish I was there to help you make sugar
this spring. I sent 36 dollars to you on the 6
th
by Adams express which will be there before
this. I want you to buy that lot for me +
get the deed in my name & give a mortgage to
secure his pay due one year from date.
There is 11 dollars to pay the expences & for
you to use as you like
I tell you, folks up there don’t know anything about
consequence of war (by what folks does down here in
Tennessee) we was here one year ago, then murfrees
boro was a nice town but look aat it now.
What a change. Those nice picket fences are torn
down & burnt up the churches are taken for
army uses (such as Hospitals & store houses)
a man can go into town any day & see dead
horses & mules laying in the streets beside all
that Now we will go into the Army Hospitals
and see what we find there. In the 1
st place
we will see men stretched out at full length
on cots made of the softest oak plank that can
be had, for a bed he may be sick of a fever
or he may be wounded (no matter which) he is
almost sure to die for want of good care
I tell you there is more dies for want of good
nursing than you can imagine if a man
that is sick could have a good woman nurse
to fix up a dish to suit the taste & they
would stand a night to get well but a sick
man stands a poor sight to live in the Army
the cars runs close to our camp so it seems
a little like civilization. But I would like to
see our Union Restored & peace once more
But I say no peace unless the south is conqur
ered & returns unconditionally
I have seen the limbs of men cut off &
thrown up in a pile large enough to make
several chards to pile them up as you would
cord wood. A man can see sights here every
day that would make him sick if he wont
used to it. Tounge cannot express what sight
a man can see in the army well I will stop for the present
march 17
th 1863 I will try & finish this letter
well John if you are a mind to get those papers
made out that you spoke of in your last &
send them here I will sign them & get 3 or 4
of the lapeer boys to sign it also as witnesses
so if I should happen to slip my wind
why you could get my property (what little
it is) I would rather you would have it
than anybody else (if I should die in the army)
Therefore you can do just as you think best
about getting it done. It is a fine morning
& the roads are quite dusty I suppose you are
having Rainy & snowy times up there
Herman saw Ephriam & George Niles
yesterday they were well as usual
you must excuse poor writing & write soon
& both write so no more now
E B VanMarter
to John & Net VanMarter
Direct as before
