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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp Burton
Jany 11th 1862
My Dear Wife,
I have been waiting
anxiously looking for a letter from you
for the last ten days thinking each
day that the next day would bring an
answer to the one I sent you just as
we started from the Rapids.
It was so very inconvenient to write
here and expecting to get a letter every day
from you
before I wrote is why I have not
written before I begin think you may not
have received my letter and so you do not
know where to write to
We started from the Rapids Christmas
eve at 10 O Clock with 100 horses got
70 at Detroit and 260 at Jackson &
Kalamazoo making 430 we unloaded
twice on the road & got into Camp Benton
at 2 O Clock the next Sunday. I was pretty
tired when I got here but well
I have had a pretty bad cold for a few
days but Im getting over it the coal
smoke affects us pretty badly here
if we have a cold on the lungs &
causes a good deal of coughing
& lung complaints we have lost
one of our company with congestion
of the lungs It was Austin Miller
Joseph Millers brother. Jo is sick now
with a bad cold and a touch of pleurisy
in the side. Another has had the
pleurisy in the side for five days.
beside these there are 7 in the hospital
Roswell shipman went last night
with inflamation on the lungs Lobdell
is there George Hanford has been there
and come out The others of your
acquaintance are comparatively well
If you should get acquainted with
Mrs. Patterson
with we might
perhaps hear much oftener from each
other especially if letters should be
miscarried.
I am going to send you 17 1/2 dollars
by express along with some from
Patterson. John Rhodes and others all
in one package directed to Father
at Corrunna and he will call for it
at the express office there I meant
send you more but I bought a watch
and had to pay for that and it leaves
me short The Sabres we got are condemned
being soft and of poor material and
we expect to be armed with revolving
rifles 5 shooter None of us know how
long we shall stay here We are doing
almost nothing in the way of drills.
We have been called out only twice
since I have been here
Sunday the 12th
Yesterday we were brigaded with
3 other regiments of Cavalry &
4 batteries. this morning we were
all called out for review with our
horses equipments and Sabers
our regiment has not got the other
arms yet At daylight it was quite
warm but before 9 Oclock the wind
changed into the N. West severely cold
Just now the order comes for us to be
out on dress parade on foot at
sundown I am in hopes we shall
drill some now and be doing
something for we are all tired of doing
nothing. Yesterday I got a letter from
my cousin in Clinton County saying
that Bailas Coats was dead he died
at Ithica in Gratiot County.
When I left the Rapids Patterson and
I sent a box of things for you and
Mrs Patterson I presume you have
them I am anxious to know if you
have got any help from the
supervisors write immediately
all about it Write every week and
I will too
Address Co G. 3rd Reg’t
Mich Cavalry
Camp Benton
St Louis, Missouri
I intend to write again about
particulars of the Camp and what I
have seen I find that it is a poor
place to get news The papers don’t
appear to give much news you must
not neglect to write often Tell me
about the Children and how you
get along Your Affectionate Husband
O C Gaylord
