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Regiment: 1st Michigan Engineers
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Chatucha River Head Quarter, Of Regiment
First Reg. Michigan
Engineers and Mechanics
Co F
Camp Chatucha River Georgia Sept 27
th 1864
From Wm Slater to Miss Ann Clark
I have bein a museing my selfe to send you a full
statement of our March to Atlantia and I have
set every thing corect as far as we have gon so
we left tillton Sept 20
th at ten o’ clock and
marched to the battlefield of Vasacoo and
got our dinnor and there we wated of four co
comin to join us and they ware Co B..C..G..R and
while ive wated I went over the buring ground and
I counted fifty graves and how many more I could
not tell and there ware rifle pitts strum each
way in every direction and the companys come up
then we marched through the Village of Vasaca
and on they other side of oskhula river we
pitched camp and Stever Filler came and inquired
if they ware any men from Detroit and I new
him and Nick Segar ware the one that saw
him the first he camped on the other side of the
river and he is in the sixt Cantucky Cavelry I went
with him to is camp that night a few minits so
we maid our bed on the ground and it comenced
to rain and at four o clock I ware driven out of bed
by the rain and it rained all next day till about
three oclock in the afternoon so we did not stir from
Vasaca and at night Stever fuller came to our camp
again and he sayes that is time is out on the 15 of
next month then he is coming to Detroit the shard
the same as the rest of the war and I went to is camp
with him again and we had a good talk about
Northville soon the 22 I maid my bed in a Waggon
but all my things was wett but I had a good bed
so the next morning 23
rd was a nise morning and
we started on our journey we went 6 miles to a village
called Calhome we went buy a great many dead
horses and mules laying in the road but we did
not see many houses but we so ware they had been
then we drove to the railroad ware some of our men
ware guarding a bridge the told us about one hour
a go that one of ther men ware shot at they ware, a short
disstance ware throne of the track and cars in all
directions and then it comenced to rain and it
rained all they way to a nother village called
Adiersville there we stayed all night in a large
tavern or had been but since the wars they had
used it for a back house so we swept it out threw
our blankets down and stayed there all night
and on the next morning we started on our journey
a verry dull morning and as soon as we had got
men and waggons streight on the road for to March
it comenced to rain and it rained for several miles
and we found one house on the road and we found
that they had got holes in the barn and they boys
put for them for the mules and we had a report
that they rebbs ware round and we ware or dred to
load our goons and it was some shourey all day at
one oclock we got to Cass Ville and it had a
verry nise village but the same as all other I had
been through the war there ware good buildings or
had been but I only could see two famileys in
there and most all the fences and a many of they
houses war toren or burnt and all racked to
peases I so there ware two meeting houses and fences
there is non a long the road and rifel pits along
a mile or so along the road I think they had them
all ready to fall back on so we got in to
Cartors ville early that night and we had
orders to moove next morning but the docter
said that it would not do we must have rest so
we laid over all day on saturday and got new
Close and I ware fixing Waggons and the ment
went out to drill and at About nigh we all went
out on dress perade and they carmill orderd
us to March next morning at seven o clock
with one days rations in our Harvast sack
so on Sunday morning at seven oclock all ware
ready with two more Companys a tached and
how we have two betallions we have go waggons
four Hamblances and three Engineer Waggons Co H
+ Co I.. A nise mroning so we drove along till we came
to Altona Mountain and then we drove over
the mountain and then we came to Aplase ware
the rebbs maid ther shot and shell but it
was all destroyed and all kind of peases of old
waggons laying in every direction Dead Horses
and Miles and grave yards al over the moun
tains and then we came to a village called
ackworth and got dinnor and they report of
they Rebbs was round they tore the railroad the
night before and burnt a train some of our
boys said that they do some of them at the edge
of the Woods but I did not see them and we
was ordered to lead our goons and then we drove
six miles to a plase they call Big Shanty and
there we staid all night I step in the Waggon again
so next morning we started on our journey again
a nise morning and there I got a letter from
Mr. Van and then we passeddead orses + mules
and broken way gons and plenty of rifel pitts all
over and about nine o clock we went over the
Canaso Mountain and on the top it was fotified
with rifels pits for twenty miles each way of the
road so I was told and we drove along till we
[ ? ]
to a fine village or town called Maryetta but
it was filled with Hospittle tents that is ware
they make the field Hospittle so we went two
miles further and then stoped for dinor and
they we drove a long bu broken wagons and
dead Horses and mules and rifel pitts till
we came to the Chataucha River and there
we laid over night and the next day and
to night being the 27
th we have been drilling
and on dress perade I so one plase yesterday
ware the rebbs killed one thousand in one
shot and to morrow morning we have
orders to march on for Atlantia to morrow
morning you must excuse me for praps
I have not shell some of those names right
and it is the first one ever I rote and I did not
[ ? ]
but I did not no how you will to read our marches
I did not march with the men I went with the
Waggons as a wagon marker to fix them if any
should break down as I should be ready I comened
it and I will finish it and you can see some how
this is correct and not so much flatter it is all
true and a great deal more to 28ths morning
we got up before daylight and at daylight it com
enced to rain and about ½ after seven it wase a little
fair so we loadid up and started on our journey they
[ ? ] ware something same as others burnt buildings
and fences dead horses + mules and broken waggons
and about one mile from Altantia we staid there
wating for orders ware to go I sent on the top of one
fort and it is a butifull sight there ware 700 head of
cattle drove by us going in to Atlantia and the cars
coming out loaded with souldiers and our men
sat down and hall our Waggon train string out
on the road and fortifications and rifel pitts
all round as far as I can see and I could se ware
the 17 Michigan rigement was camped there is
a sptendid house hear and it has plenty of canon
balls through it and part of it blone down by
the shell I do think that Altantia will be a
verry nise place when we get there I have seen
nothing but nise plases in the south there is
some of the prettiest buildings and plases as
ever I saw and if William Downer is in the rigement
yet I shall stand a chance to see him before long
for they sent for that Betallion to come to Altantia and
then the rigement will be all to gather I have rote
this small pease while we are wating and if we
do stay in Atlantia I will finish it I only found this
morning three post stamps in Mr. Vans letter I
ware going to throw the envelope away and I tore it
and then I so them so as they came all right for
I had borrowed one to send you the ring with
so I was entirely without and at last we drove
on till we came to Atlanta and a very Demorolia
plase as ever I so I so ware some of the sitisons
had dug holes under ground to keep for bery
killd we drove through the town to the other
side till we came to on of the rebbs forte and
we pich camp and laid on the wet ground
once more Atlantia as been a nise citty once
in a time it does look a sad plase when one
getts on a hill and look down I went in one
grave yard but I never so such a grave yard
in all my life I so one board that said there
were two thousand and fourten in that lot
and there is plenty of our men laying there
as well as rebbs and they gave me a verry
bad head a ke with such a smell from
men horses + mules and eaven horses
ware dead laying in the streets and
ware we are camped it smells horrid
but I have not seen much of Atlanta as
yet I shall be better able to say more a
bout it in my next they rebbs is got
behind us we have seen car loads of
our men pass back as we have been
coming the report that they rebbs pickets
is only one mile from us so we are in
a verry tite plase with the army and the
bad smell I would like pain killer now
for we cant buy nothing hear for no one is
a loud at this side of Chattanuga I am
afriad that Tobacks is gon up that is all
the cumfort that I have got I do think
that Mr. Van has took things in differant
light then I do the reason that I do not send
you some money is because I do not want
the supervisor to no and I want you to get
the eigh dollargs as long as you can
but I wills ay some more in my next
as I have not got much time I will rite to
Mr Van as soon as I get more time but I wish
you would tell Mr. Van if he can trade the
plase to any advantage to do so and pay some
little money to buind the bargain as I would like
to spend three or four Hundred dollars more
then the plases if it be worth it and take time
before he agrees to give the deed I can sign it and
return it by mail if it should come + go streigh Wm Slater
is not mine but since I have got free from
liquor I do think the more and no one as
a chance hear for there is no one does
no anything about it and I for med my
mind if the do I do not care and I do
want her likeness with the other if you
have not got it took for I think it is
as little as you can do and a nother
thing I do want to say to you I do not want
you to get made for as
[ ? ] you for so
many things and some time a go I did
ask you about the old stove and I have
not heard of it yet if you cant get
along we will have to buy one but I
do want a good one and did you get
the old teakettle at of the shop if you
did I wish you would
put it up stares as I do not want to
loose it and you must rite to me
about the stove and I will arange it
if you cant do without I would like
to send you some pictures if I only
can do it there is some nise ones but
I cant get a them at all the time
So now I must conclude
at preasantly saying give my
respects to all inquiting from
and well wisher
Direct as before William Slater
Atlanta Georgia
