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Regiment: 6th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp stick in the mud
near Farefax, V.A.
April 29th 1863
Dear Friend
Kate I received your
letter of the 20th and was glad to hear
from you for I dont get many letters
since we left Camp Gray I havnt had
but one letter in two weeks and thats was
the one that I got from you I dont think
the male comes through strait or else the
folks dont write, well you say that all the
folks are dyeing of there and seen that Elin
is gon I shall have to be after finding
me another womman for I cant live without
one that is out of the question but no more of that
you said that you heard that I was going to get my
discharge you got the news afare i did for I hant heard
of any such thing yet nor dont wanto for some time
I shant take my discharge as long as I
can stay in Camp will you just tell me what
there is at home that one would want to be
there for this war hant donw with and if I was
back there I should enlist again and all the boys
have gon or all that is able except a few that
[ ? ]
ther is some of them Abolition Preachers like old Tucker
who thinks he is my uncle but he is mistaken he is
no relation to me or if he is I shant own it.
and there is Brother Jerry I think he might
as well been doing something for his country but
I spose he hant an able bodied man but I dont
think it is any time to get maried now
but let them go for they have a right to think as they
like I will do as I am a mindto and I dont blame
Louis now Jerry neither but I hope they will enjoy
themselves there as well as I do here.
Johny says that he dont think you wore that new
dress but I told him that you did and that it was rough
to make a bet with a girl and then not pay it
I hant Paid all of my debts there but I thought that it would
do to Pay them when I get back if that hapens and I think
that three years will fetch back some that has gon
from the little state of Mich and there will be some that will
feal pretty good and some that wont care you knew John
H Wood he is dead he died April 26th and was buried here at
Farefax his Brother felt prety bad well I hant told you
but what I was in the hospital all this time but I hant I
left there on the 25th and am now in Camp.
Fred was here yesterday he is well But he said that Ream
was sick they are off on Pickett Lieutenant Birges shot
a Rebl the other day he chased him about one miles but
he got away the shot was through the sholder we dont know
whether it killed him or not but I think that I
have wrote another of this sort of stuf.
(no more this time)
From S.D. Mills
To Catharine Hamilton
Good Bye
Write Often
Write to me very often
Letters are links that bind
Youthful hearts to each other
Tetering mind to mind
Giving to kindly spirits
Lasting and true delight
If you would strengthen friendship
Never forget to write
[On Envelope:]
Miss Catharine Hamilton
Grand Rapids
Mich.