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Regiment: 23rd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
we are under marching orders
again but I know not
where to
Camp of 23rd Mich Inft
Glascow Ky June 20, 1862
Dear wife I received you letter of
the 8th in due time and it was thankfully
received I can asure you I have neglected writing
to you for a long time I have not writen but
one letter before this sence I have ben at this
place but it is not because I have not
thought of you often for I have you and Maria
has ben in my mind most of the time but
I have ben carless about writing and have kept
putting it off for a long time but I thought
that I must write today at any rate or else
you would think that I had forgotten you entirely
I do not want you to think so for I have not
if it were not for you and that little pet of
ours I would be perfectly contented where I am
but do not get discouraged and you must not
for the time will come when we shall meet
again last Sunday our regiment was ordered out
on a scout every man that was able to go went
we marched 12 miles to a little place called randolph
there the regment was divided the right wing stayed
in randolph and the left wing with a squad
of cavelry which went with us started
out and marched five miles farther I was in
the left wing we had a very hard march
and the last three miles after we left randolph was
marched at about quick time it was very warm
and a good many of the men fell out they could
not go any further after marching the five miles
they halted about fifteen minutes and turned around and
marched back 2 ½ miles and camped in the field by
the side of the woods back from the road
they sent the cavalry out to scour the country and
find the rebels and if possible to draw them
into ambush where we was but it turned out
like all the rest of our scouting we did not get
sight of them and only used up a number of
our men by a forced march on a hot day that
is the way the war goes I don’t suppose it makes any
diferance how the men are killed only so its done
wether it is by marching or by the bulet but
thank god I am in the land of the living and hope
to be the land of friends before long I have
not much to write for I cannot think of anything
today so I will make a short letter of it by
beging you to forgive me for not filling our this sheet
I am your loving husband George Van
