Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/burge-caroden-s/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: George B. McClellan, Sterling Price
Camp Mich, 2nd
Feb. 21st 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. We have
cheered & cheered till our
throats are sore & we
are hoarse. Victory has
become such a common
thing that we now hardly
think it worth while to
cheer for less than
fifteen thousand (15,000) prisoners
What do the people think
of McClellan now, & his
“masterly inactivity”? Only a
few weeks ago the rebels
had an unbroken front
from Roanoke island to
Springfield Mo, Now Roanoke
has fallen Elisabeth city &
Edenton have followed. Suf-
folk Va. is threatened &
Suffolk gone Norfolk must
follow. Romney is ours, Somer-
set has fallen & Cumberland
Gap is ours. Forts Henry &
Donelson are in our hands
& thousands of prisoners with
them. Springfield Mo. has fallen
& the “indomiitable Price”
is driven from Missouri
& now is our prisener, while
Curtis is still following
his unfortunate army &
hourly taking prisoners &
stores. Clarksville &
Nashville are threatened
by our irresistable troops.
The rebels have evacuated
their strong hold of Bowling
Green, & report says that
they are preparing to
evacuate their stronghold at
Columbus & also Manas-
sas, – that place where we
were once defeated & when
all have been wanting
us to go, & would not be
otherwise satisfied. Who
says not that McClel-
lan has been doing nothing?
Who says he can not “move
his grand army.” Who
but Our General brought
about this complication
whereby stronghold after
stronghold of the rebels
has fallen so that now they
they must face all the
horrors of invasion? Columbus
must surrender or be evacu-
ated &
[ ? ] the valley of the
Mississippi is ours. There
the rebels must either evacuate
Manassa’s or leave the
whole south at our mercy.
If they do give up the
south where are their sup-
plies to come from? If they
do evacuate Manassas, then
their stronghold is gone &
they must face overwhelming
numbers in the open field.
“McClellan has them in
their our trap.” Ga which
way they will they must take
either one or the other hom
of the dilemma, and either
one is death to them. Savan-
nah Ga. is ours with forts
Jackson & Pulaski. Charles-
ton is threatened with forts
sumpter; Moultrie &c. The
rebellion is virtually dead. A few
short months & the old flag shall
wave as of old over our
Nation “firm united”.
There is no danger of foreign
intervention with such
victories & prospects.
Let the “Onward to Rich-
mond” cries hide their
heads for shame, & admit
that McClellan can man-
age his own affairs.
When was there ever
such
a time when victory followed
victory in such rapid
succession? All that
I fear now is that our
Gen’ls soldiers & people will
grow self-confident & say it
is our own hard hash
done this, forgetting that
it is God who gives
victory to whom He will.
That this may not be
so is my prayer. Let
us give Him the praise,
& while we rejoice & praise
our Gen’ls let us praise
Him as the
author of our
success.
About sending things
home. I think now that I
will keep all my things
with me until spring. Then
I must wither throw away
or send home some of my
blankets &c. Then I will
put all my things together
& send them home by express.
I will send my diary there.
When you send the box I
wish you would put in
a little dried fruit.
My health is very good.
Give my respects to all friends.
You may look for me at home
the Fourth of July. Caroden.
