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Regiment: 1st Michigan Light Artillery
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
March 28th 1863
Murfreesboro Tenn
Dear Brother & Sister
I recd your welcome letter of March 21
st & was
glad to hear from you but was sorry to hear that
you was unwell I hope this will find you enjoy
ing as good health as I am at present I was glad
to hear that you got the money all safe. I have just
been writing a letter to Jessee I got a Kalamazoo
paper to day & I don’t know who in the devel sent
it to me. I don’t know anybody in that part
of the country as I know of, we are having cool
cloudy weather with some rain. The season is
more backward this spring than it was last
year. Before this time last year peach trees
was in full bloom but they aint in blum yet
this spring the troops are getting the first nearly
finished & getting some siege guns into them
I tell you this is going to be a hard place for
the rebs to drive us away from in a short time
when it is completed well I cant think of much
to write so I will bring my letter to a close pretty
soon. As I wrote you before if you are a mind to
get those papers made out and send them down here
I will sign them & get them witnessed but I don’t
think it will pay you for I calculate to get through
all sound. I saw Ephriam yesterday he is well
I see Carlton & Jim Niles every day. Carlton is
well & hearty Jim is unwell with the diaried
Heman is
[ ? ] as a bear. I wrote Jim a letter the
other day if he don’t answer it I will never write
another line to him as long as I live by dunder-
& blitims. Well we will have inspection again soon
I wrote a letter to a Michigan gal the other day if I
get an answer to it I will tell you who it is
you know her & by gracious she is a pretty girl
the best looking one I seen in Michigan.
Well it looks like clearing of over head & I guess I
will keep on writing. There is provisions enough
here to last the army 3 months. The engineers &
mechanics is getting out timber to put up a
stare house four hundred feet long. what do
you think of that. I hope you aint going
to be sick this spring. The cars runs close to our
camp so it seems a little like civilization down
here in Dixie. John I believe this dambnable
rebellion is on its last pins I don’t think this war
will last 6 months longer if our generals will use
half the energy that the rebel generals does. I dont
the butternuts they only want to whip them so as
to get a higher position, well you must write soon
from your brother E B VanMarter to John & Net
Direct as before
