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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Head Quarters Co M.
Franklin Tennessee
Mar 10th 1863
Dear Father
Yours of the 4th
came to hand a few mom-
ents ago was very happy to
hear from home once more
although the news it con-
tained was not very good
concerning the health of our
folks I hope this will find
you all well & enjoying your
health as well as I am at this
present time. I received one
from Jack Champion & from
Ed. H. they gave me nearly all
the news with yours. there is
not much news at this time
more than we are haveing all
the fighting we can possibly
attend to. we had a fight
at this place a few days ago
& lost some 6 or 8 hundred
men the 19
th Michigan were
taken our Regt lost 12 or 15
men. our company was out
on pickett at that time.
the Regt is out now & several
others enough I hope to clean
the Rebels out this time they
have been out three days and
are driving them. they are now
some 20 miles from here &
working their way to Columbia
Slowly where the secesh are in
large force. our boys was within
eight miles of Columbia this
morning. our Regt is in the
advance where they always put
them two of our boys was brought
in yesterday wounded & one to
day our company is left behind
as camp guard 5 of my
company went to Spring
Hill this morning for to
carrey dispatches from the front
back to this place. (called courriers)
our Company was on pickett
when they left or we should been
out there with them all that
stayed in from pickett had to
go Leck & four or five others
is out from our company their
is always some 6 or 8 that slinks
out of duty. (pickett duty)
it is raining now & has rained
all night & day steady, it is
awful muddy now. if Uncle Sam.
dont furnish me a pair of boots
pretty soon I shall have to send
home for a pair my old ones
have seen their best days I dont
like to go with wet feet sure
but I am compeled to now as
sure as the devil. I guess they
will get some shortly. they
are oweing us over six months
pay I guess they dont intend
to pay the old Soldiers any
more. Saving it to hire a
few new recruits at two
hundred dollars ahead. I
guess I will get my discharge
& enlist over again. I wish I
was at home as well as you
wish I was but it is as you
say there is not much chance
of my getting away before my
time is out sure. You will see
all poor Soldiers hanging about
home. but there is a good chance
to come home with
[ ? ]
now days. there is any amount
of them getting that kind of
a discharge & furlow, give my
best wishes to all & write soon
Yours Respectfully
Charles H. Potter
