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Regiment: 28th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: William S. Rosecrans
December 1, 1864
In Camp 16 miles southwest of Bowling Green, KY
Beloved companion,
I again take an opportunity to write you a few lines to you to let you know I am well and thinking of you and the rest of my dear family there is not a night but what I see you in my sleep that is a comfort to me I reckon there is men here who as soon as they get their supper they start off in search of some lude woman to spend the night with. Men who ought to have regard enough for families to lead a different life. It much more pleasure for me to sit down and write a few lines to one I know is waiting in sorrow for your return home and at the same time I am improveing in riting and I know that will please you as mutch it dose me We have
[ ? ] good country to day it has been very warm to day as warm as it is the is in their in you the roads is geting quite dry for this season of the year the country is very rough and broken and rough the land is full of bars and hotel their is not a
[ ? ] mild heair but what one or more cars on it We came by the los river as it is caled on the map it is on the pipe road and went east and west the country dry and wide it is in
[ ? ] like that below the falls in nolbott it nearly comes out from under the foot of the hill at the uper end of the
[ ? ] and rans a bout fifty rods and then runs under the hill again in to a cave and is lost sight of in tirely to man kinde in the mouth of the cave soldiers air camped at present it is a bout too thirds as large as the PawPaw river
Where we are camped there is a spring coming out of the hill it is as large as that olde lade spring in
[ ? ] it runs a few rods and then it runs in to ground out of sight if it was not for the war, I would like to live here. A man don’t have to work all summer so as to live here through the winter and then freeze to death in the bargain.
We went out on a foraging excursion. We went to an old farmer and took fifteen loads of hay from him. He forbid us of taking it and showed a safe guard given him by Rosencrans when he had command of this department and signed by the commander of this post. It was an order to all Union soldiers and officers not to molest him nor his family or his property, and whoever violated that order should be punished with death. Our lieutenant who had us in charge said he was sent after that hay and he must obey his superior officers and he must take it. And we did take it and today December the 2nd our lieutenant and the Captain of the wagon train who sent him was arrested by order of the post commander and was taken back to Bowling Green to have a court martial. We are laying over on account of it. How long we will have to lay here I don’t know.
It rained last night and this forenoon. This morning while we were shooting off our guns that we used on guard, we shot them into a bank. One man who was afraid of his gun did not hold it as he should and there was a number of teams passing in the road beyond and as the gun went off it shot the wheel mule in the head and
[ ? ] this afternoon.
There is a cotton field across the road from us. The first one I have seen since I have been down here. There was four thousand cavalry passed us yesterday. We will start in the morning on our way to Nashville I will rite to you soon as I get where I can I want you rite as often as can and I want you learn Alonso to rite so he can right to me one of teas days I am in hopes of getting a transfer into the Navy before long and if I do I will come home a few days before I go into the Navy if their is any taxes to pay on that lot I want you to pay it I cannot think of no more my dear companion but I will got to my bunk and think of my beloved home and Children direct your leter to nashville tenesee Co G 28 Mich Infantry
My dear wife I wish I was with you to night good by God Bless you wife
