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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp of the 3rd M C.
Jackson Tenn
April 22
Aunt Sophia
Your kind letter written in answer to my and my friends Ormsbys was duly received by me a
couple of days since and I propose to spend a few leisure moments in replying to it. To begin
with I will promise that I am still enjoying the very best of health and so were all the folks in
Michigan when I last heard from them which was but a few days ago. My wife is still at
Fentonville and I think it is very likely that she will remain there all summer and attend school
with Mary.
We are having just the finest kind of weather here at the present time. The season is as far
advanced now with us as it usually is with you by the first of June. “Stable Call” has blown and I
shall have to attend to it.
Well we have all been out and taken care of our horses and now I will try and finish this letter.
You must not think because we are in camp a good deal of the time that we have all of our time to
ourselves. I am Orderly Sergeant of this company and I will tell you about what I have to attend
to every day. In the morning at five o’clock, the bugles sound the Reveille and I have to call the
roll. Immediately after Reveille Stable Call is sounded and then while the men go to the stables
and take care of their horses I have to make out the morning reports of the company, write passes,
make out the sick report and then go and groom my horse. This occupies one hour and a half. At
seven o’clock, the breakfast call is blown and at eight the sick call. I attend the former you may
be sure but not the latter. Then at half past the bugles sound guard mounting and I have to report
the guards from the company. Then in half an hour water call is blown and we have to ride
nearly half a mile to water our horses. Immediately after we return from water, drill and dress
parade which takes until 11 o’clock. I forgot to say that I have to call the roll at drill call. At
twelve dinner call when I have to call the roll once more. That at one o’clock p.m. Orderly’s call
is sounded and I have to go to headquarters for details and orders. At half past two drill call again
and another roll call. Drill for an hour and a half or two hours. At four Stable and water call and
another roll call which occupies our time of one hour and a half. At sundown the retreat is blown
and another roll call. Then at half past eight Tattoo and another roll call. At nine the bugles
sound “Lights out” but we don’t put them out until we get ready. Besides all this I have any
amount of writing to do such as making out monthly and quarterly returns of ordinance, clothing,
camp and garrison equipage and muster and pay rolls. Orders to record. Descriptive lists of men,
blank discharges to fill out and any quantity of miscellaneous writing. So you see my time is not
wasted. But I do get lazy and hate to do any hard work and so do all soldiers. Excuse this
uninteresting and egotistical letter but I had nothing else to write for I am tired of writing about
war and politics all the time.
Your Nephew O. W. Roland
