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Regiment: 7th Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Ambrose E. Burnside, George B. McClellan
Camp
Harpers ferry
Mar 16th, 1862
Dear Father
I am in
Harpers ferry all right &
tight & tough, having a good
time there is three brigades here in
town. we are quartered in houses
some as nice
[ ? ] as I ever saw
they were evacuated by the rebels
and taken possesion of by our
troops, we have been up as far
as Berrysville & there met the other
brigades coming back said that
Winchester was full of our men
they left 90,000 men there. its a
large place. there is four Batteries
of 22 guns in all with us
3. 20. ssd.rs. six
brass16 pounder rifled
cannon. 4. 11. pounder howitzers 8.19. pound parrot
guns. that will shoot six miles
those six brass cannons are hansome
& pretty well racked. they was in
bulls run fight. they have 16. roves
cut in them. they are deep & get an
awful twist & do hansome shooting.
we have done some tall marching
since we left camp benton I
can march just as far as any
other man in a day my feet
are very sore at present the
last day we marched Porter
gave out & as much as 1/4 of
the other regts gave out &
came draggling in afterwards
our regt is just the toughest
on the job not more than 8 or
10 giving up. our boy and
the mass 20th & 19th have a
good many fights they guarred
all the while they killed
a lot of hogs and sheep &
because our boys killed a few
they reported them to their Col
& he to the Genl. & he came to
see the col & he told him that our
boys had brought no fresh meat
into camp & just then in came
three boys with a fat sheep they
had just killed & the Genl
ordered the Col to put them in
irons. but he released them
after the Genl had gone &
[ ? ]
other
[ ? ] we have got new
guns again this makes the
fourth time, we have got
the springfield rifles. the
cartridges done up with a thin
kind of combustible so we dont
have the bight them. Just run
them down and put on a
cup. they are nice. the Artillery
men have had orders to load
their guns on board of the cars
the Col. says we shall leave
very soon for some place we dont
know where. some say to reinforce
Burnside others say we will go
to Washington & cross there and go
under McCllan but no tilling
I wish you could see this place
the senery is beautiful. there is
one place called Bolivar Hights
which the enemy held if they had
any pluck at all. I believe if we
go with any of those expeditions
we will have tall fighting to do
for the Genl says the western troops
are much the best the eastern ones to
are mostly foreigners & dont anow
to much. I must close for the present,
direc to
Co. I. 7th Michigan Vols.
1st Brigade
Segwicks Division
Via Washington
From your Son
C. H. Tyler
Co. I. 7th Mich. Vols.
Write soon. Direct to
Co. I. 7th Michigan Vols.
1st Brigade
Sedgwicks Division
via Washington