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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Jan 19th 1862
My Dear Wife
On the l7th I received your letter of
the l2th on the 17th with pleasure and on reading
it I found that we were each waiting
for the other I see that I ought to have
written right away after I got here
but I was waiting for answer to my last
one for I was anxious to know the
decision of the attorney General to
Mr. Andras’ letter I will write every
week if you will You write as though
you felt yourself
under humiliating
circumstances But it is not more than
I expected when your Mother asked you
to come there and you talked of going
I have thought of it good many times
and regreted it very much and it
is why I wanted to get a room or
house for you somewhere else
As to any debts no one can trouble you
for their pay and I gave no one to
understand that Father was to pay a
cent of them unless I furnished the
means
and I did not tell them definitely
when I would furnish the means
but as soon as I bushered and sold
my produce I should get him to
see that they was paid if they say
anything different it is false and
I dont want Father to pay them
unless he can turn them to advan
-tage to himself but let them whistle
I want you to tell him so particularly
I do not have reference to the mortgage
on the steers or on the land.
When we first came here we was
put in a room with another company
So there was only half as much room
as
there we needed for comfort and
health we have now moved into
other quarters and the health of the
company is improving. There has been
rumors and talk of our being discha
rged ever since Secretary Cameron’s
report saying that the Government
had a good deal more Cavalry than
was wanted and advised the dimin
ishing of the force by some means
we know nothing more about it
than you do We can hear almost
anything we choose by inquiring around
a little of different ones and it is often
we need not inquire at all.
We hear so much here we don’t
know when we hear the truth
hardly The rumor just at present
is that the small Pox is in the camp
If it is untrue there will nothing
said of it in a day or
true two if true
we shall soon find it out.
The amount due on the place is
just l25 dollars beside’s the interest
for two years to the first of April
which will be but little odds of l7 dollars
It would be as well to pay now
what you can for it will not be
paying the accumulating interest
then / and Mr. Hart will think he will
be getting his pay then if you pay
some now and more after a while
and besides I promised to pay him
some this winter if I could
If Tim is going away you must
have a settlement with him as soon
as possible and endorse on the notes
all that is due him and if he will
turn out anything on them take it
Do this if you can I know your circum
stances but maybe he will come to you
if you send word to him
If you get an opportunity to sell the
notes do so if he goes away
Seymour was taken with inflammation
on the lungs the other day. he is in
the hospital and was better yesterday.
the boys are all getting better now
Mr Patterson went to the hospital
Friday He and Lobdel wanted me
to send a few lines to their wives
so they would know exactly how they
were.
You I will write on separate
slips of paper a few lines and you
can take it to Mrs Patterson and
to Mrs Lobdel You can put it in an
envelope and send it by some one the
first opportunity But now I think
she lives in the village.
I want you to let me know if that
money I sent you gone through straight
It is seventeen dollars & 50 cents
I saved only two dollars If I had
not demands at home I could make
it pay to keep about 5 per month
I should like to see you and the
children today exceedingly well and
if they disband us perhaps I shall before
long Write every week without fail
You have noticed probably poor
writing and many mistakes in
some of my letters but you cannot
expect to much otherwise.
Your Affectionate Husband
O C Gaylord