Michigan Civil War Collection

January 19, 1865 General Hospital Number 2, Section 6, Tent 5 Abby darling, I am thinking of you tonight and I am very lonely now. I am in the hospital I was when I last wrote to you and I don’t know how long I will be here. If we get our pay tomorrow I will not stay here long. The story is our regiment has been ordered from east post in Mississippi to City Point in Virginia.

January 13, 1865 College Hill General Hospital, Number 2, Section 6, Tent 5 Nashville, TN My dear boy: I am glad you are trying to learn to write so you can write to me. It will be a good while before you can see your father again and you will be a large boy by that time and I hope you will good acorders. If you like your father, you will try and learn every day to read and write.

College Hill Hospital Elder Blowers who took care of me when I was sick took cold when I did but was not down sick. But last Friday he was taken with the irisiples and on Tuesday morning (January 10th) he died. I was with him on Monday and done all I could for him. I did not know that he was sick until Monday.

leter number 15 Nashville Tenn. January 9th, 1865 My dear Amy, I am lonesome today and I will write to you to pass away the time. It has rained for the last four days and it is very muddy outdoors. Oh, I would give a good deal to see you today but I cannot. If l could be at home and get what pudding and milk I could eat, I would feel better I reckon.

Letter number 14 January 4, 1865 Nashville, Tenn. Dear Companion, I again write a few lines to let you know I am in a living condition yet. I have not gained much strength yet. The doctor is a going to send me to the Convalescent Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky that is one hundred and eighty miles north east of here. There is about 50 of us a going there tonight.

My dear wife and children, I wish you a happy New Year’s this morning. I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I have been sick with the measles for three weeks. Yesterday was the first I have set up. I was in the hospital. I call it a hard place for a sick man.

December 10, 1864 Camp near Nashville, Tenn. Dear companion, I again write a few lines to you to let you know I am not under the sod yet although I am not very well at present. Yesterday morning I was taken with the ague. I had a good shake for about one hour and a half. Then I had a fever a short time.

December 6, 1864 Nashville, Tennessee Dear and loving companion, I received your letter last night and was glad to hear from you and hear that you was all well. I wrote some letters to you but I did not mail them until today because I did not get to a post office. On Sunday night we got to Gallatin and that night I wrote a letter to you and then I went to my bunk and slept.

Remembered Friend, I take my pen in hand to let you know I am in the land of the enemy as well as in the stranger. Now the booming of cannon goes on the air like distant thunder. Preparation for battle is going on constantly. Our army will attack them in force tomorrow. Then we will know who is the best metal under fire.

December 4, 1864 Gallatin, Tennessee Dear wife, I am in camp again and I will write a few more lines to you to let you know where we are and so you need not worry about me for fear I am in danger. For by this time, you have heard they’re fighting near Nashville. They have done some hard fighting near there. We have heard the roar of their heavy artillery all day on the march. They have been at it for three days and the railroad is busy carrying prisoners north.

In Camp two miles north of Richland, Sumner County, Tenn. December Saturday the third Dear wife, I will write a few lines to you again to let you know our progress towards Nashville. We will get there in three days more if we have good luck. We marched into Tennessee today. It very muddy going on account of the rain we had last night and the night before last.

November 27, 1864 Cave City, Kentucky Dear wife and loving wife, I remember of leaving you in tears a short time ago a short way from the house. I shall remember it a great while. I reckon you will too but I will be at home before two months roll away if nothing happens to me.

November 24, 1864 Munfordsville, KY Don’t read this before anybody Dear Wife, I wrote a few lines to you last night which I mailed this morning. I also sent you dime song book and one Harpers Weekly newspaper. I sent you a book from Springfield. I thought you would like them coming from me. I have not yet any news from home, yet I expect to get a letter from you tonight.

November 23, 1864 Munfordsville, KY In Camp Again Dear and Affectionate Companion, I know you air anxious to hear from me I rote a few lines while on the march and did not have time to finish it We left Springfield and marched to Bargetown Whear we camped for the night the the next day’s march brought us too miles northwest of New Haven where we camped on a side hill there.

November 18, 1864 Springfield, Kentucky In camp in a building on the fairground in Springfield beloved companion and wife tho my body is far from home my mind and and hart is thear We left our camp at Lebanon this morning and came on here eleven miles and camped about 2 o’clock this afternoon.

November 15, 1864 In Camp eight miles west of Dansville, KY Dear Wife, I will write a few lines to let you know I am well and enjoying myself some as much as I can under the circumstances. We left Camp Nelson yesterday morning with our train. It consists of six hundred immigrant wagons, loaded with supplies and forage for Sherman’s army, twenty-eight ambulance wagons, five hundred mounted Cavalry, and one regiment of infantry besides our one.

November 11, 1864 Camp Nelson, Kentucky Dear Wife, I still think of thoe we air meny miles from each other I can see you in my sleep if no oter time that is some consolation there is a great many men here who, as soon as they were out of sight of their families, they forgot all the vows and promises they have sworn to keep.

November 7, 1864 Camp Phillips, Louisville, KY Dear Wife, I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have not forgotten you nor my poor children. I am in Camp now; I have been here three days. I don’t know how long I shall stay here or in Nashville and do detached duty this winter

October 30, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky Dear Wife, I left camp Wednesday evening about [ ? ] of [ ? ] in the car [ ? ] we arived at Michigan City at day break Thursday that day we went to lay [ ? ] fryday we went to Indianoplas that night we went to Jefersonvill Saturday we crossed the Ohio river into Louisville, Kentucky. About noon I was detailed to go with the others to Johnson’s Island