Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/vanvalkenburgh-george-w/
Regiment: 23rd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Monday May 25, 1862
Dear Brother George,
I thought I would
write a few lines to you to let you
know how I get along and the rest
of the folks. We are all well and I hope
these few lines will find you the same.
I am not quite as small as I was
when you went away. I am as large
as Em and weigh more and can handle her just like a fiddle.
I expect that Tim and Mariah are
married unless they lie like sixty.
I have not seen either of them since
we heard they were. My friend Ann
was out to town the other day and Tim told
them that they were married and
I suppose it is so. Mariah is gone
to Lockport a learning the
trade and Tim is on the canal. George you have got one of the prettyest
little girls that ever was. She is just
as pretty as she can be. Oh how I
wish that you could see her. She call
me la la. I think a great deal of
that ring you send me and shal keep it
to remember you by. George I tell
you you had better look out for Em.
There is a nice young man down here
that has fell in love with Em. He says
that she is the nicest little woman
he ever seen and that if he had his that
he would not
[ ? ] all of the world for
her. He says that she is so neat that
she ought to be kept in a cage and
I think that when you can you must
do hard work you do you had better
carve out a cage for her out of
clam. Still I think it will hold
for now old fellor you had better
look out or else you will lose her
Oh George I hope you can get a
furlough and come down here and see
us. You don’t know how bad
we want to see you. I was a going
to write to you and so Em thought that
she would write a few to you and we
are going to send them
together. I
shall have to close, excuse all
mistakes and bad writing and write
soon. these few lines are from your affectionate sister
Allie Tilley
put on your specks to read this
