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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Franklin Tenn
May 14 1863
Dear Clara I received a letter from you
yesterday and was glad to hear from you
I was thinking mibey you would take a
mad fit and would not write to me eny
more but I see you ar not so easy made
mad, and I honor you for it some folks
would of got mad, and though they could of
punish me for writing in that way and
it would ended in a quarrel, others would
of been sorey and would of beged of in some
way, but I like your ancer it
[ ? ] easy
and plain no love sick sound to it,
never bend thy corse to living man, never fall
at a
[ ? ] feet to ask their hand or hart
if one is worthy of another in one way they
are in all, if love is not granted willingly
it can not be begged nor hired, bought love is
soon forgetting, I will write to you ofen and will
expect ancers I did not mean all that I said
but wanted to see what cind of ancer you make
I will, will I not be to the as the sun
is to our mother world, a true and
never fading light, then clouds may
gathering thick and black, but they will brake
a way, only to shine briter, you halve
nothing to fear from me, and may
our love grow stronger for eachother
as longe as we live, love is strong to
think of, it is hard to describe the
materil is hard to find the caus is not
known how to produce it, it is only found
with truth and honor, think not that
am crasey nor foolish or love sick
I may be the hole of them but I think
not yet I do not halve much time to
write or think or anything as I am
little under the wether to day so
I got excused from duty to morrow
we go on picket some of the boys
is on to day we came yesterday
we ar on evry other day sure and
sometime, ofener, we halve not had
eny fight in some time I seen some
way before yesterday they fired at
us and one of our shot at them
I did not shoot for they was to
fur of to hit them and we had no
orders to go chaster we was sent
out to see whare they was only
we went till we gound them and then
came back again that night, the compney
on the other road thought they war
attacked and they fired a way and
got scarte and run others of them
see them coming and they fired
then they fired back and they had
quite a time before they found
out how it was the first fired
at some moolse and horses that
was loose running around, some
of Co F fired to they was with
us, but it was in
[ ? ] or something
els of that kind you must write all of
the news you now if you can not
read this bring it hear and I will
tell it to you I can not read now
Yours
farewell
good by
My love bid
the good bye
I am Ira Graves
Clara Simonds
[On Envelope:]
Miss Clara Simonds
Watrandsville
Tuscola County
Mich