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Regiment: 1st Michigan Engineers
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Cartersville, Ga.
July 5 1864
Dear Sister:
I am glad to
acknowledge your good letter
of the 26
th as I have been
watching for it several days.
You complain that you
have not heard from me for
some time, or since my money
letter of June 9” but I have
written you several times since
then which I hope youhave
received
[ ? ] this. I know I have
not written very often; and but
briefly then, but I have not
entirely forgotten you. I hope
you may have met with
Dr DeCauess by this time,
as he will tell you all
there is of interess in the
Dept of Cumberland, our
Recp. on the section of country
through which we have passed.
I hope you have had no
hotten weather the last two weeks
than we have, but there is a
vast difference between your
hot weather and the same here.
I saw in the paper a few days
ago that the
[ ? ] stood
100 of St. Pauls and 91 the same
day at Nashville and N. is
one often hottest place south,
on account of its location. I remem-
ber the Sunday you wrote 26”
was an extreme hot day also the
glorious 27” as I was out at
work all day, instead of
celebrating. We had to moove
the 28, so I did not tell any
body what day the 27 was but
kept at work all day.
I intended to observe the
day by writing home a long
letter but letters have about
gone out of my line of business
unless they pertain to O. B.
I can hardly realize myself
that I am as well advanced
in years as the Bible would
make out. where the last five
or six years have gone, and
what I have accomplished
during that time for myself
is something very indefinite
to me; when I leave the Army
I shall be hardly as well
prepared to commence life
as I was the day I left
school. I then had time to
look ahead, and by one
trade and then another,
before deciding permanently.
I left a large and
lucrative business in Ohio
by which I was realizing
a debt of three dollars a
week for board, and entered
the Army to bleed for my
Country is may be an honor
to have served ones Country
in her darkest hour of peril,
but it will leave me with an
unmade fortune in my hands.
But enough of moonshine,
and I will tell you a little
seality which is that we have
the most splendid shady
neat & unique Camp that we
have enjoyed since being in the
war. The Col. Lt. Col Maj.
Doc Saf. Inspt. + Capt Grant
with 50 men of Co
[ ? ] are here,
also the Band, &e, we are in a
lot of four acres, a grove &
Corn to a splendid dwelling
thickly shaded with oak trees,
and with a carpet of green
grass, situated in high
[ ? ]
back from the town, quiet &
still, nothing could be
more handsome, more neat
or appropriate. The house is
a large two storie wooden house
built in southern mode with
large open halls, large porches
up stairs & dense, well furnished
with Piano, Library &c &c.
the Safts. & Inspecters Office
is up stairs in the front room
left hand side, carpeted, Bookcase
wardrobe, looking glass, &c &c.
and had a large bed, with
matrass &c but which we moved
out as we prefer to sleep in
our tents. the proprecter Mr
Ermin, was a Merchant, well
off before the war, is a Widower
having lost his wife lately.
and is now at home nacticy
for Peace, there has been quite
a union sentiment here.
this is a mall place, only a
R. R. Station to make a town
but a good rich farming country
surrounding. I was down to
Big Shanty 22 miles south
and heard some canon while
there. Fourth of July we
only moved, no other
notice being taken except
by the Band playing a
series of Patriotic Airs.
The mail man is
waiting for this it is late
and I will cloase, and
write you again very soon.
I am well & enjoying myself
pistate. Please give my
regards to all and with love
to you believe me every yours
A. B. Coffinberry.
[On Envelope:]
Miss R. J. Coffinberry
Grand Rapids,
Michigan
