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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: John H. Morgan, Nathan B. Forrest
Camp at Lagrange Tenn
August 1st 63
Dear Parents
I have seated myself to pen a few
lines to let you know that I am well
& hope you are the same Edwin is well now
he received a letter from you stating you
had sent a box to him if I had known that
he had sent for a box of things I would
have tried to make him think it best to get
along without it but he wrote when I was down
in Missippi I guess he got homesick for he
looked rather blue when he came back
I know how it is at home now it must
be rather tight times now but I hope it will
not remain so long how does the Copperheads
begin to feel about the war now since Morgans
capture Duane I tell you I was glad to hear
that Morgan had gone in to Ohio & Indiana
not because I wanted to see the property of
Union men distroied But because I want
men that are staying at home crying peace
peace when there is no peace to see what
king of beings they are in league with or
sympathising with I would like to see peace
as well as anyone but I want it on honorable
terms & until then I am willing to serve in any
way that is a soldiers duty to serve that may
be honorable at the present time we have very
good times only a good deal of duty to do
we are on picket every other day & it has been our
luck to be on duty every time our Regt has
been out on a scout for the last two times
but I dont know but what it has been for
the best for the talk is now that the Regts that
were up at Jackson in the fight will
have to pay for property that was stolen &
distroied to the amount of thirty thousand
doll & this to come out of their pay but I
dont think they will stand any such thing
the Rebs in the fight lost some forty killed
& a good many wounded ours was only 1
killed & but a few wounded here let me
say that some of the citizens of Jackson
were killed found in arms some of them
that seemed to be our best friends when we
were there & now only think how traitorous they
are one of the men that was killed was a man
that attended bar at the Citty Hotell & fine looking
he was too he was ambushed by the bridge &
shot at Colonel Hatch two or three times &
hatch ordered two men to go round & drive him
away & the result was that one of them shot him in
the head & killed him immediately good enough
for such men that will pay no regard to their
oaths & I hope the last one of them may be killed
if they dont succumb to what is right
What do you think about France waging war
against us hope she will not but if they do I think
we can make them think of their latter end as
Dock Odell used to say but I guess you will
say now that will do I received a letter from
of Jane tonight dated at Three Rivers I am
glad she has gone home as I think little Trudy
will have a better chance to go to school.
Now Jane you may do as you think about
drawing from the treasury they might just
as well let you draw as some others I know of Duane
you may sell my bees if you can I think
I will be able to send home some money before
long We have not been paid in six months
& the probability is now that we will be paid
off ere long. A part of our Co & Regt is out now
on a scout now & we got a dispatch yesterday
that our men had taken Forest & all of his
command & it is said that Newsum is taken
in the same fix hope it may prove true but I
dont know believe it will will write
next time & let you know all about it Mother you wrote
that Edwin Rice has been promoted to Capt
I hope it may be so for I think Ed will make a
good officer & it will help him with a good stand
in life Both of the Russels have a Com Position
as orderlies sg. in the 2nd Colored West Tennessee
Tell Uncle Noble that I would like to hear from
him verry much give my best respects to all of Uncle
Henrys Family Allens too tell them that I would
like to receive a letter from them very much All
is well & so is John Bonesteel Orin Cross has been
very sick but has got much better write how the
nursery looks I have requested you two or three
times you say nothing at all about it I sent a
jacket home by Oliver Goodell it is not very
nice but I hope I will come home yet to ware it
a few words to Vicky you say you dont know as
we deserve the name as brothers for not writing to you
Please pardon us & you must consider that when
we write home to one we write to all Vickey I was much
pleased with your letters as it convinced me that you
have improved very much in your studys hope you
will write often so good by from MHH Jane you must
write in reply to this too Now Mother you cant
say that I
[ ? ] wrote you a good long letter Write often MHH
