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Regiment: 4th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Head-Quarters 1st Brig., 2d Cavalry Division,
Near Savel Town, G’a
September 3 1864.
My dear Davidson
Yours and Madge’s of the
21
st ult I received a few days ago. In it
you say that Willy after returning from the
trip he was about starting on, intended to go
to Missouri to be mustered out with his Com-
pany. I have been very desirous to see him
here before he leaves the service. and have been
constantly looking for him for weeks. I
wish you would write him to get ordered
here for a few days duty before he leaves
He can mangae it in some way. A part of
his corps (the 16
th) is here now, and Genl
Smith could order him here upon some pre-
tense or other, if only for a day or two.
Genl S. of course has some business with the
other Divisions of his Corps. Be sure to write
him immediately concerning it. I do not
know when I shall have an opportunity of
seeing him again, unless it be managed in some
such way. I am sorry to hear that you
have been ill. I hope you are better now. You
ought to be, having the tender care of a good wife.
I thank Madge for her addition to your note. Tell
her there is nothing you or she can send me. The
less we have here the less we are liable to lose
and it is almost impossible to receive anything that
is sent. I am far away from you and the
way is continually disturbed by Mr. Wheeler and his
friends. I wrote you a long letter on the 28
th
ult giving details of our late raid. Should it be
lost you will be saved a great labor. “Atlanta
is ours” at last of that there is no doubt, as
I saw a man last night who had just come from
there. I will give you a sample of the ru-
mors, we have here to-day; so that you may see
how reliable army news is at the rear. You
will probably know the truth of the reports when
this reaches you. “Sherman has whipped the rebels,
struck their army in the flank near Jonesboro as it
was marching South, cut it in two and has al-
ready sent back 5000 prisoners.” “One body of
the enemy is in full retreat for Macon and another
towards Augusta” “The bloodiest battle of this cam-
paign has been fought” “We have captured 15 trains
of cars, destroyed immense quantities of ammuni-
tion” +c +c. We are only 14 miles
from Atlanta and those are the stories we get.
How they must grow before they reach you!
I believe there has been a bloody battle fought
some distance below Atlanta and that we have
been victorious. Thank God! Oh! if we
now had the cavalry we had on the 1
st of
May, the rebel army could be thoroughly scat-
tered. We are expecting every moment to be ordered into
Atlanta. After lying so long within rifle shot
of it it will almost too bad if we do not have the
privilege of riding through it. Read the papers
for the next week or ten days and see what our ar-
my has been doing. This victory may help Lincoln’s
chances a little. It looks to as here as though
be were not as strong as six weeks ago. I
am glad McClellan has been nominated. I think
he is the best man the Democrats have, and I do
not believe his nomination will add many votes
to those which any candidate, they chose to put up,
would have received. I wish we had some of
those peace men here men who know nothing what-
ever of the sufferings that this war brings. If we
don’t want peace, except honorably, they have not the
slightest right to complain. My sentiments.
Don’t forget to write to Willy. Love to Madge
Yours affectionately
Robert.
J.D. Burns Esq
Kalamazoo
[On Envelope:]
J. Davidson Burns Esq
Kalamazoo
Michigan
