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https://micivilwar.com/authors/oswath-george/
Regiment: 5th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Ulysses S. Grant
Head Quarters 5th Reg’t Mich Vol
Vol. Inf’try Camp near Brandy
Station Va March 25 1864
My dear Bro’ & Sister
It is some days since
I wrote you and longer still since I have
heard from or anything of you excepting
through another, from whom I received
a letter day before yesterday, stating that
she heard from you a few days before she wrote
and that you were both well and that
the ice was out of the River and that
she intended joying you a visit mid-
month if Father was well enough to
permit of it and
had he is now con-
valesent. So Kate Burr is married and
to Utly of Detroit. I think she did pretty
well. Utly is something of a man
but connected with the wrong
[ ? ]
I fear for any young man who begins
life professing allegiance to
priceples
prinables such as are
[ ? ] by
the Detroit Free Press. they must fail
in time. They cannot succed for this
war will over turn them and all upholding
them. I tell you this war is giving the
world a joy for the better and freedoms
and civilization and liberty, justice and
equity will be advanced. For the past
week it has been very cold here and
night before last snow fell to the depth
of ten inches, something very unusual
for Virginia, but yesterdays
[ ? ]
that of today. has made it as
[ ? ] as a
sponge and one day more will need it
all away in little
[ ? ] that
go bobbling by. We are expecting Genl
Grant here tomorrow to take command of
the Army. We expect to have a grand
review of the Army when he arrives
which will surpas anything ever
held of the kind on this continent. We
are procuring our white gloves and an
extra box of blocking and
[ ? ]
to make us look finely and give kind
Grant the idea that this Army is one worthy of his
military talent and command. We have
suffered some for the past few days, with
the cold, in our cloth houses and log
huts and cloth roofs. You can get some
thing of an idea of a soldiers life by
taking to sheets or table cloths and
fastin them together and throw the
center over a pole about five feet
from the ground and the
[ ? ] the
edges down to the ground with pins and
then close up the end with material
of the same kind. all this in your
[ ? ]
and then stay in the same
[ ? ] night
with a blanket and oil cloth under
you and a blanket over you. You
will get a slight knowledge of life
in camp. particular when we are
on the march and camp for the night
If it does not rain I would as soon
sleep out doors without any covering
over me but my blankets or to sleep
in my tent. It is very astonishing
how much one will endern of exposure
after being gradually accustomed to it.
and thrive and flourish under it. Mankind
as a general thing are to much housed, are
to carefull of themselves, to fearful of
the cold and damp, the main point is
to keep the feet warm and dry and the
head cool, as a cool head is always some-
thing very desirable. The Army is lying
as quiet,
quiet as the city of St Clair, nothing
to disturb us or make us
[ ? ] several
lines during the day the various drum
Corps, and they are legion, and bond,
[
? ] several calls such as reveiles, dinner,
grand mounting and the many others.
for we eat drink, sleep, and morn by the
sound of the drum, is about the only
noise we hear, but soon we shall
hear the sound of booming cannon
in earnest, and I love to hear it is makes
me stand more erct and ful
[ ? ] man-
hood. I tell you one by practice comes to
love the the
[ ? ] and sound of battle, even
the horse knows, that is learn the bugle
call and will charge on to battle without
a rider. Ihave come to the bottom of this
page and think I will close for this
time. and now let me hear from you soon
with many wishes for your welfare and
happiness and may God bless you in
the wish of your affect bro George M Oswath
