Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/fullington-george-w/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp Smith
Nashville Tenessee
[12 lines illegible]
the
[ ? ] with my port
-folio an my leg.
[ ? ]
I Supose that you are
Sencible
[ ? ] by the
[ ? ]
that I am
[ ? ] but
Seeing that I am writing
to Uncle Pop I dont
Care do you I tell you
we have had some high
old times since I left there
lets See I left there a
Monday well I got to
Jackson about 3 oclock and
then went to the hotel. I
staid all night then the
next morning I strolled around
the Citty untill I found an
[ ? ] and then I went and
drew my state bounty and
at 10 oclock we Started for
Louisville. And we had an
old time of it I tell you
at
[ ? ] the oficers telegraphed
to have a good dinner got
up for their and when
we got through to them the
boys all made a
[ ? ] for
the table and ate it all
up so the poor oficers
had to go with out ha ha.
Monday June 12th
Well pop it is a darned
pleasant morning down here
how is it out your way
I supose that you all are
a going to Singing – School
To day well I dont know as
I care
[ ? ] that I cain’t
but how is Aunt Emily and
Hellen are they both well
and is there any more bumbles
in the neighbor hood or have
they Smeled a mile and left
I Cant Catch any down here
So all I haft to do is Sit +
play Cards and read
But now to business pop if
you think that you can
get any of that bounty of
my fathers for me I wish
that you would try and
will pay you a fair chance
and will help you all I can
and pleas write to Uncle
Francis and find out all you
can and then let me know
as soon as you hear from
him. but dont let on to him
that I am at work at the
propity you know about what
to do. Then Coppy his letters and
Send them to me and dont let
on to any one at all. and I will
do the Same. but as I am on
the blank Sheet I wont bother
you any longer. give my love
to Aunt Emily and please tell
them to write to me right off
I still remain as ever your
true and Loveing Nephew
George W Fullington
Co F 2nd Regiment
Mich. Vet. Vol. Cavalry
Nashville Tenn
The Maniac
A Norwegian named Nelson
was found wandering, crazed,
unsheltered and half famished in the
vicinity of his home which had been
destroyed by the Indians in
Minnesota. His wife it proved had
been murdered and scalped, two
little boys who had fled to a
cornfield, were found and killed, an
infant was taken into the woods
and its brains dashed out against
a tree, and a daughter names
Jenny was carried into captivity.
A squad of soldiers took the
miserable man in charge, who
on coming again in sight of his
smoldering house went silently
to his garden and closed the gate.
1
Minnehaha laughing water
Sing thy laughing song no more
Savage hands are read with slaughter
Prairie fields are stained with gore.
2
All accords thy sportive gladness
With their last despairing wail
Whilst thou’rt dancing void of sadness
Mangled corpses strew the vale
3
Change thy note gay Minnehaha
Let some sadder strain prevail
Listen while a maniac wanderer
Sighs to thee his woeful tale.
4
Give me back my Lela’s tresses
Let me kiss them once again
They who blessed me with
[ ? ]
Lies unburied on the plain
5
See you smoke there was my dwelling
That is all I have of home,
Hark, I hear their fiendish yelling
As I houseless cildless roam
6
Have thy killed my Hans and Otto,
Did they find them in the corn
Tell
[ ? ] savage monster not to
Not to slay my youngest born.
7
Yonder stand my new bought reaper
Silent grind the ripened grain
Even my cow asks why I leave her
Wandering unmilked oer the plain
8
Soldier bury here my Lela,
Place me also ‘neath the sod
Long we’ve lived and wrought together
Let me rest with her + God.
9
Faithful Fido you they’ve left me
Can you tell me Fido why
God hath this at once bereft me-
All I ask is here to die.
10
O my daughter Jenny darling
Worse than death is Jennys fate
Nelson as our troops were leaving
Turned and closed his garden gate.
11
But the laughing Minnehaha
Heeded not the mournful tale
What cares laughing Minehaha
For the corpses in the vale.
