Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/vanvalkenburgh-george-w/
Regiment: 23rd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Frankfort Tuesday 14, 62
Dear wife I thought I would
rite you another letter while I
had time I rote you yesterday
but I thought you would like
another and so I take the opertunity
to inform you that I
talked as though I was disatisfied
but I am not I enjoy as well as
I can without your company
and as for my deserting I did
not think you would have
thought of such a thing that is not
what I came here for I came
for better motives they have
ben fiteing all
around us and
we ar left here to guard the
city and the bridge acrost
the river
We are now under marching
orders and are liabel to move
any minuit we are all packed
up ready for a start we do not
know where we will go but the
suposition is that we are going
to Cumberland gap we have
the rebels pretty well penned up
and if we cut them of there
we will probley have one
decisive battle and that will
tel the story in Kentucky
and then I suppose we will go
to the Potomac
They have ben
whiping the rebels out there like
fire sence our brigade
got here we are in gen buels
division and he has them
cornered up prety well Our
right will be held in the
reserve and kept as reinforcements
We have got more tigers for
oficers in our rigiment and
we are confident of success
with the men we have to
command us in our brigade
I would like to be there a
little while to see you and
that little sugar lump and
the rest of the folks I would
like to spend a few days
with you all down ther
but I feel perfectly at home
in the army sometimes it
is hard work but the most
of the time we have easy
times and plenty to eat such
as it is every man has to cook
for himself sometimes they
eat raw meat and bread
and sometimes they cook it we
have plenty of coffee and sugar
but it is not like siting
down to the table with you
and that little Maria the
dear little thing don’t let her
forget her father and if I
should never come home try
and make a little lady of
her but don’t borrow ones
trouble about me for I
am as tough as a bear I
am 6 lbs heavyer than I was
when I left home
hathaway
is sick most all the time
I guess he makes some of it
to get out of dutey I have
not lost but one day sence
I enlisted and that is more
than most of the soldiers
can say I was sick for some
(time) before I enlisted so that
I could not work and lost some time
they have taken a good many
prisoners here within a few
days this morning they startd
off one hundred for Louisville cincinnati and they are bringing
them in every day afew at
a time they undertook to burn
the bridge here but our cavelry
made them hunt ther holes
pretey fast there was 150 rebels
and onley 40 of our men we
had one man killed and
four wounded the rebels 7
killed 15 wounded we had
a force of 400 cavelry come in
but they was to late to
ketch them they had to
stop and examin the bridge
before they dare to cross
and that give the rebels
so much a start that
our men did not follow
them it being in the night
we was about 5 miles from
here when the battle took
place they sent a mesenger
for our brigade to (come) as quick
as posibel we started and
some through on quick
time but is was all still
when we got here and has
been every sence the fight
took place on the bridge
and the rebels drove our
men acrost and back
about 40 rods and then
our men drove them back
acrost the bridge and they
run leaving some of their
men behind dead and
wounded we have seen
rebel blood if I have not
ben in battle there was
a brick building at the
end of the bridge and
there was blood spatered on
six feet high where one
of the rebels was shot on
his horse and fell against
the building we could see
blood on the bridge and see
the ball holes in the timbers
it looked just as though they
(had) some fun and I felt as though
I would liked to of ben there
myself but we shall not
be put into battle unless
we are took in as reinforcements
we shall be kept in rear for
a rear guard but we well
show them what Michigan
boys can do if they give us
a chance
tell father he must rite
to me and your folks must
rite you do not know how
good it makes the soldgers
feel to get a letter when the
male comes and how down
harted they look when the
list of letters is read over
and there names are not called
it is a grate incouragement
to the soldgers to get letters
and hear from there friends
the soldgers do not have as
much time to rite as
their friends have unles they
take the time that they
ought to have to rest and
sleep in when they come off
from dutey they want rest I shall have to bid you good
by for the want of time
From George Van
