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Regiment: 23rd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: James Longstreet, Ulysses S. Grant
Knoxville Tenn Jan 13 64
Direct to Roseville
Tenn. Hospittle
No. 4
Dear Friend. I take this opportunity
of writing a few lines to you in
answer to a letter that I have
Just received from you dated Nov
the 7 63 I hasten to reply to your kind
letter I was glad to hear that you
was about getting a sick furlow
but sorry to hear that you was
noct up but I hope that you
will not sufer by your Pregnant
diseas for it is a complaint that
is not common to our sex but
let that be as it may I hope that
you may soon gain your health and
return to you regiment George I long
to see you old face once more
I will give you a faint idea
of the proseeding of our
army George we have had some fun
and a good deal of damned hard
times we have marched up and down
the Holsten River untill we
know every hole and corner in
this valley we have had some
fighting here and at London Long
street drove our army from
London to Roseville what they
skirmished with one force untill
we got here Our regiment lost killed
wounded and missing Sergeant
Johnson of our Co. was killed
and Milton Goodnough was
taken prisner James Duel received
a slight scratch by a piece of
a shell Our Army fell back to
this place and Longstreet surrounded
us and then the siege commenced
which lasted for 17 days which
time our men sufferd for the
want of something to eat George
there was 5 days at one time that
I did not have one mouthful
of bread we had a little rice
and coffee and a little mush
And then by this time
Longstreet thought that he was
getting himself in hot watter
So he thought that he would
retreat to Vergina but he only
got about
[ ? ] miles when he
came to a snubing post whare
he now remains and the news is
that he is surrounded by our
troops We have been reinforced
from Grants army to the amount
of 75 or 100 thousand Grand is
here himseolf Burnside is gone
and Foster took his place
Grant and Foster have gone to the
front There was about 20,000
troops passed through this place
today They went right through
and never halted so I think that there
will be some fighting done within
a few days Longstreet lost
4 thousand while at this place while
we lost no more than 800
from you friend T. Hathaway
Please write as soon as you receive this.
give my effect to your wife and friends
George I have not writen
anything about my own
health my health has been verry
poor since we came over the mountains
I have been in the Hospittle
since the 15 of November but
I am getting better my diseas is
the cronic diarea and inflam
atory Rheumatism our boys
are all tough the last I herd
from them George you wanted
to write and let you know if
my wife got that 5 dollars that
you cent to her I have just got
a letter from her stating that
she had got it and all right
but she did not say anything
about the one dollar that you
wanted me to pay Chase
Chase and if you have not
sent it to my wife I wish
that you would send me a dollars
worth of postage stamps for there
is non in this place no more at present
