Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/winchell-edward-a/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Georgetown Heights, D.C. Monday July 8, 1861
Dear Mary,
I received you letter last Friday but have not had courage to sit down and try
to write one fourth as good letter as you. You said that all was well but Mother and
that she was worrying herself about me. There is no use of her a doing that for I am
a doing well here. It is very healthy here now but pretty warm.
I sent two pictures of myself, one with my coat on and the other with my coat
off and my straw hat on.
It is good that I have pretty good teeth for the hard biscuits is some saved
from the Mexican War and have been stored away in some hot over ‘til they are so
hard that they can hardly be broken with a sledge hammer, let alone ones teeth. It is
a fact. If you don’t believe it, I will bring you home a piece of one of them when I
come home – if that ain’t so I don’t know what is.
We are going to march tomorrow. Nobody knows where so it may be a week
or so before I will have an opportunity to write again.
Those pictures are sent to the care of Uncle Geiger and they are to cost 75
cents. Tell Ad that he must pay Uncle for them. I won’t have much money coming to
me the first month because I will have my hat which I lost to pay for and somebody
had the kindness to steal my pants which I got from the government the other day.
I have not received but one letter from Ad since I left. I think he might write
on Sunday. When I write I have to take a piece of board on my knee and write that
way. I think it is a good deal harder for me to write than for him, ain’t that so?
I am getting used to camp life. It is about as I expected but a little rougher.
I had the most fun on the fourth of July that I ever had in my life before. In
the morning I laid down and went to sleep and slept until dinnertime when I went
up and had some rice soup and salt pork and a small piece of bread. After dinner I
went down to the creek and done quite a big waking and went to bed about eight or
rather to the ground the earliest I ever remember of going to bed on the fourth.
When you see Edgar, ask him if he did not receive a letter from me for I
wrote to him about two weeks ago. Tell Charley that he must learn to write so that
he can write to me.
How is Ad’s garden getting along? Do you get any vegetables out of it yet?
The boys are all falling out to swimming so I guess I will have to wind up
my yarn. Give my love to all of the folks and tell that that I am well. Good bye from
Ed.
Your affectionate brother,
E A Winchell
P.S. Write to me soon
[On Envelope:]
Box 484
A.H. Winchell
Detroit
Michigan
