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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Dec 22nd 1861
Dearest Wife
I am still at Camp
Anderson as you are aware I supp
ose, for John Rhodes said his folks were
going to be at Owosso on
Tuesday last. I don’t know why they
wanted me to stay here unless
it was because I wanted to go
so bad and there were others that
wanted to stay. But we expect to
go tomorrow There are 36 men
on the ground I have six with
me Selderi, Silas, & Jo Miller and
3 others. I sent you a hood and
a dress for Eva I wanted to send
something nice for Eva but I
had not money enough. The hood
was I thought the prettiest I could find the
price was
six shillings one dollar Tell me
if you like it The best ones were
all gone those with long tabs
I expect to get a letter from you
tomorrow but I thought I would write
once more from here and if we go
away tomorrow I shall not have time
to write much after I get the letter
I expect hear what the decision of the
Attorney General is with regard to
who is to assist you you must get
8 dollars per month if possible
I am on guard duty to
knight and have it
pretty good sitting in the barracks
by a good fire in the stove while it
snows fiercely out of doors I have to
go out to the other barracks once in
two hours to wake up the guard to
go on his post we have only one
guard on at a time now and that
one has to watch the horses in the
night and in the day the gate is open
and he guards that there are three
men who go on each 2 hours at a time
numbered lst 2nd & 3rd Reliefs commencing
with the lst Relief at 8 O·Clock in the moming each day
the 2nd Relief at ten & the 3rd at 12 O Clock
then the first at 2 O Clock again and so on.
In a regular Military Camp the Captains
are detailed each day in regular order to act
as Officer of the day, to grant paper
to soldiers, & citizens &c. as he sees fit
to receive reports, to maintain order in the
camp &c In the same way there is an
Officer of the guard, a Sergeant of the
guard, & 3 Corporals of the guard besides
the men to stand guard. Some of the
time here the guards had a password
given them and no man could pass
in or out
with giving it unless he had
the password. Selden Patterson and I
had some things to send home
and we have put them in a box
and he is going to leave it at
Owosso for Wm Andrus to forward to
Reuben Andrus I saw Lewis Hart the
day I came to Corrunna and he
said my taxes were $16.84 I think
What Warren Hart owes you will pay
will a little more than pay the relief
tax you have school orders
enough to pay the school tax so you
will not have to pay any money if you can
get Town or County orders.
Mr Whitney has enlisted and Roswell
Shipman also.
I shall not send this till I know when
we are going When you write again you
will probably send them to St Louis to reach
me direct them as follows
Co G. 3rd Regt. Mich Cavalry
Benton Barracks St Louis Mo.
Write soon
Yours Affectionately
O C Gaylord
P.S. 10 O’Clock A.M. Dec 24th
We have just got orders so start
for St Louis We Shall go through
Corrunna to night and stop in
Detroit a day or two also at Jackson &
Kalamazoo I went to the city last
night on purpose for a letter from
you I was anxious to know about
whether you was going to get any help
but I got no letter don’t neglect writing
often good bye
Affectionately Your Husband
O C Gaylord
