Camp 2nd Michigan, Lebanon, Kentucky April 26th, 1863 Dear Mother, I received your kind letter several days ago but I have not been able to answer it until now on account of sickness. I have been troubled a great deal lately by an ulcerated tooth and having no opportunity to have it taken out, I have been obliged to stand it. Last week my face swelled up so that it closed one of my eyes
Winchell, Edward A. – October 6, 1862
Camp 2nd Michigan Inf. Upton’s Hill, Va. Oct. 6th 1862 Dear Mother I wrote a short letter to you a day or two ago and not having any thing with which to occupy my time I thought I would write you another short letter to you and hope and trust it will find you enjoying as good health as I am. There has nothing happened of any consequence since I last wrote you
Winchell, Edward A. – October 1, 1862
Camp near Alexandria Oct 1st /62 Dear Mother I received your very kind letter a day or so ago and I feel ashamed of my self for not writing before this I am well as usual and I hope this will find you the same Dear Mother, I have not had an opportunity to see Johnny Wickham as yet but I will go to Alexandria and see hi as soon as I get a pass it is very difficult matter to get a pass now a days Our division has not been any of the late battles
Thayer, Wheelock – September 15, 1862
Camp Near Arlington September 15/62 Dear Friend I am yet alive. I have delayed writing along while for it has been hard times to do anything so you must excuse me for not writing sooner. Things have been dull since Bull Run we have not had any pay for four months.
Winchell, Edward A. – September 10, 1862
General Hospital Sep 10/62 Dear Add: I have been suffering with a severe fever several days past and in consequence have been unable to answer your kind, interesting letter as soon as I in tended at the time of its reception. I am very weak and I write with difficulty my wound during my sickness was very much inflamed and is in a worse condition at the present time than it was when I dispatched a note to you in forming you of the fact that I had received a wound.
Winchell, Edward A. – July 12, 1862
Camp near Harrison’s Landing 12 July 1862 Dear Uncle I suppose you have been wondering why I did not write and if you have not heard from me before this wondering if I was taken prisoner or shot but thank God neither has happened but I must confess one time I thought of getting down by the side of the road and letting secesh take me but on second thought I determined to stick by the regiment let what would come.
Winchell, Edward A. – July 5, 1862
Camp Second Michigan July 5, 1862 Dear Add, I am safe. I have not time to say much only that I am well and I got through all right and a tough time we had of it. We had to fight every day for Kearny’s Division covered the retreat. We had to carry 150 rounds of cartridges to last us through.
Thayer, Wheelock – June 21, 1862
Camp Lincoln June 21 1862 Dear Friend It is a long time since I heard from you & some time since I wrote. Tell the folks that when we get in a different place that I will write to them for it is most impossible for me to write here for we have to go on picket most every day & get up two or three times a night if there is alarm given.
Burge, Caroden S. – June 13, 1862
Kalamazoo June 13 1862 To the Family and Friends of C.S. Burge. The sad news has reached us that our friend and classmate has fallen in battle. For this event we were not prepared. Knowing him well, which was to love him well, we reluctantly parted with him a little more than a year since.
Burge, Caroden S. – May 12, 1862
Camp of Mich. 2, Five Miles from West Point Va., May 12 1862. Dear Mother & Sisters: I take this opportunity to send you a few lines. You must give my letters to the girls & tell them that each must consider it to herself as I have very little time now for writing & generally when I do have time I am tired out with the days march & do not feel like writing. Tell them they can each answer my letters as though they were directed to them
Rath, Samuel J. – April 25, 1862
Discharge Document, April 25-26, 1862
Winchell, Edward A. – April 22, 1862
Camp Scott near Yorktown Tuesday 22 April 1862 I commenced this letter last Saturday but have not had a chance to finish it until now. Sunday we had to go on fatigue. It rained real hard all day but that made no difference. We had to shovel all day so at night I like the rest of the boys were soaking wet and to top it off we had to go out on picket at four o’clock Monday morning. It rained hard a good whole of the day and the night so you see we had quite a pleasant time of it for a couple days.
Winchell, Edward A. – April 19, 1862
Camp Scott near Yorktown 19 April 1862 Dear Brother Add It has been such a long time since I wrote to you that you supposed the mail was stopped but it has not been I am wholly to blame. I suppose I might make an excuse if I wanted to tell a lie but I could not with out for I have had plenty of opportunities but have let them all pass thinking I would write the next day
Burge, Caroden S. – April 14, 1862
Camp of Mich. 2 Near Yorktown, Va April 14 1862 Dear Sister: I rec’d yours the day after reaching this place Perhaps I did not do right in waiting for you to ancwer mine before I wrote to you again, since you have so many cares. But it is passed.
Burge, Caroden S. – April 14, 1862
Camp of Mich. 2 Near Yorktown, Va Apr. 14 1862 Dear Mother: Here we are before Yorktown & have been lying here since the 5 What I supposed to be only to change position proved to be a general advance. We wise two days in marching here (a distance of 24 miles).
Burge, Caroden S. – April 3, 1862
Three Miles from Fort Monroe Va. Camp of Mich. 2 April 3d 1862. Dear Mother Well here I am way down at Fortress Monroe, with my portfolio on my knees writing to you. I am sitting on the ground or rather on my blanket with my feet stuck out in front, under out shelter tent. This tent is a novel concern. Each man has an oilcloth blanket about six feet long by three & one half wide.
Burge, Caroden S. – March 18, 1862
On Board Steam Transport Vanderbilt, Off Alexandria, Va. March 18 1862. I just write you a line as I do not know when I can write again. We came on board this boat yesterday &, expect to start down the river to-day.
Burge, Caroden S. – March 17, 1862
Camp Michigan, Va. March 17, 1862 Dear Mother: We are under orders to march at 9 this morn. Of course it is not to Manassa’s, as that is evacuated The report is that our Division is to march to Alexandria
Burge, Caroden S. – March 6, 1862
Camp Mich. 2 March 6 1862 Dear Mother: I was discharged from the hospital last Monday. I have got almost well. There is no pain in my side now. I think I shall be fit for duty in a day or too. All those unable to march have been sent off to Alexandria.
Burge, Caroden S. – February 27, 1862
Hospital 2 Mich. Feb 27 1862 Dear Mother: Don’t be alarmed when you see I am in the hospital. Last Tuesday the reg. was called our suddenly on a reconnoisance. We marched very rapidly about through awful mud three miles, making us very warm, & were then halted in a cold mind.
Winchell, Edward A. – February 24, 1862
Camp Michigan Feb 24th 1862 Dear Cousin Millie, I have no excuse to offer for not writing to you before. I have been at the point of writing several times but I did not know whether you would think me worth writing to or not so I have let it pass until now. I guess it will be just as good when it does get there though.
Burge, Caroden S. – February 22, 1862
Feb. 22 Morn. Washington’s Birthday. This morn the first thing I heared was the booming of cannon in all directions & our band playing the star spangled banner. There is to be a great celebration in Washington today. Tonight the outlines of the Capitol are to be traced in lines of fire, & on the dome is to be a Calc light.
Burge, Caroden S. – February 21, 1862
Camp Mich, 2 Feb. 21 1862. Dear Mother: I have just come off guard & take this opportunity to write to you. For the past two weeks we have had so much good news – so many glorious victories – that we can hardly come down to sober truth.
Burge, Caroden S. – February 15, 1862
Camp Michigan 2 Feb. 15 1862. Dear Mother: I think that a letter will get to you by the appointed time if I do not write till Saturday. I have been so buisy this week that I have wanted this time.