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Regiment: 22nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Ambrose E. Burnside
Nashville, Tennessee August 31st 1863
My Dear Wife
It is with greatest Pleasure that I sit down to write these few lines to you to let you Know that I am Well at Present and I Sincerely hope these few lines Will find you all Injoying the Same Blessing Dear Wife 1 have Been looking for little Abbeys likeness Some time But have not Seen it yet But hope it will come Soon for I long to See her likeness if I cannot See her in Realatie So that I CAN See her likeness Dear Hannah It is most one year ago Since 1 saw you and little Abby four Days more will make one year Since the 22nd Regt left Pontiac Oh I shall never forget the last time I saw you and little Abby and Abby and Mary I shall never never for get the last kiss I gave my Baby I thought then this Rebellion would be Brought to a Close Before this time But this still leaves us the Servis of our country Dear Hannah in this year that has rolled away into etumity Since you and I have Been separated By this Cruiel War thare has been some Sad Changes in Our Company Thirty of our Brave Boys that you saw marching through the Streets of Pontiac Belonging to Company D are now consigned to the Silant grave and our Captain besids most of them are Buried away from thare friends and Relations and are soon forgoton By the Soldier Such is the lot of a Soldier But some one has to Sustain our Cuntry and Stand By the Stars and Strips that Traiters has So long B een trying to trample in the dust But I hope by the help of the Almighty God I shall Survive this and Bee permited to Return home to you again We had a great time heare last Saturday night at the State house Parson Brownlow of East Tennessee Spoke to the Audience and told them of the hardships bee had to undergo in his mountain home When the War first Broke out the Rebvels Persecuted him and all other union citicens Because they would not take up arms against the government that had allways protected them from thare Birth and thrust them into a Jail like Murderers and felons only Because the would not take up arms against Fedrall Government Hee said bee knowd of lots of men that was hung and shot down only because the would not turn Rebbells the union citicens was drove from thare homes and thare cattle and horses taken from them and thare bed clothing and other valubals taken from them and the men had to leave thare wives and children and everything that near and Deer to them But still the are for the old government and the laws thare of it has been rumered hear that general Brunside is maraching into East Tennessee to Releave the poor down troden People in that section of the cuntry Govener Andrew Johnson of Tennessee made a speech in which bee Said now was the time for the People of Tennessee if the wanted a free government bee Said bee had ownd Slaves for Twenty six years and he was in favor of the Emansapation and having a free government hee said bee had let all his nigers go and hee was willing to Sacrifice all bee had if it would save the gorvennent bee Said that bee had the Seecesh Ladies come to him every day and want to know if bee could not get thare niger back for them bee told them bee had not taken thare nigers away and he Sould not take them back for them bee said hee told them Before the Past the Secesshion Ordinance that the was a going to free thar own slaves Govener Johnson asked the People of midle Tennessee ware all thare youg ment was that was in and around Tennessee too years and a half ago bee Said the mother and Sisters and the Fathers had thare Son into the Rebells Ranks by thare excited minds that one Southern Man Could Whip two Yankees He asked the question whar are the hee said the could of and search the Battlefield and look at the newly made grave and they would find them thare and who was to Blame bee said bee thare Mothers and Sisters had sent thare flesh and Blood to be murderd and Still the would hold unto the nigers Thare sons have been slain and thare Plantations laid waist thare own state have Been made fat bythare Blood and Slavery was now doomd and and now was the time for Tennessee to free her self Dear Wife give my love to Walter and Abby and all the Rest of the folks The Weather is Changed hear it quite cold here at present Please send mee the Box as soon as convient so I must Close By sending you all my best Wished So good by and God Bless you and little Abby I remain you loving Husband
William Painter Co D 22nd Mich
Please write soon and send mee all the news you can direct to William Painter Nashville, Tenn
