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https://micivilwar.com/authors/winchell-edward-a/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Arlington Heights Aug 15th 61
Dear Bro Ad
I received your
letter to day and I did not
know what to make of it. It had
been such a short time since
you wrote but it did not take
long to find out and I was
surprised when I found out
what it was about. I did
not know that I had said
any thing in the letter to Frank
to make you think that I was
sorry that I had inlisted or
that I was tired of it. Far
from it if I had not come
I should never have been con
tented and I have not seen any
thing so far that I could not
stand. I believe I told Frank
something about our rations
that they were poor it is so we
do not as you must know have
very good food some days we do
not have enough to eat and
then again we do. I believe that
I told you what our rations
were if not I will now in
the morning we have a third
of a loaf of bread a cup of coffee
and a piece of meat some of the
time fresh but most of the
time salt meat at noon we have
the portion of bread meat and a
good deal of the time bean soup
if not that we have boiled rice and
once in a great while we have mush
and sugar and in the evening we
have the same as in the morning
with the exception of tea which
we have once in a while. I dont
know what I said that
would be likely to make Mother or
any one else think that I was dissatis
fied but I can tell you one
thing certain that is I enlisted for
three years or during the war and I
intend to stick here untill it is
over with. The only thing that makes
the boys mad is that ever since the
battle of Bulls run we have not had
any blankets and the most of us no
coats but it has been warm enough
in the night time to do without
any covering untill a night or
two since it has been so cold that we
were near freezing in the mornings
we set around a fire for about an hour
till the sun gets up it is the meanest
climate I ever saw hot in the day
times and cold in the nights.
I would like to know what you
wanted me to tell you weather
I liked it down here for
I dont know what difference it
would make if I did not like
it but enough of that I think that
that you will not know what to
make out of all of the letters which
I wrote in fun not knowing what
else to write about but after this I will
be careful what I write. You say
that the letters that I wrote to Emma
and Frank was very interesting now
you can not make me believe any thing
like that or I know that I cant write
an interesting letter to save my life.
The one I wrote to Emma was not fit
to be seen but I thought I would send
it for the fun of it. I received a letter
from Bill and Been and Been tells
me that he has not been working
for about five weeks so you see
that if I had not come I would
have been out of work this summer
anyway I have got to write a nother letter this
afternoon so I must close Give my
love to the folks Good Bye
From Brother Ed
[On Envelope:]
[ ? ] Winchell Esq
Detroit
Box 484
Michigan
