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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Abraham Lincoln, George B. McClellan
In camp at 4 Mile Creek
Alabama October the 23rd/64
Esteamed Friend
your letter of the 18th of September came to hand on the 29th of that month.
I received it on the march at a little town called Louis burg while we were stopped
getting dinner. It was sent through by some boys that came through the regiment and
overtook us there with the mail and you may be sure we glad to get it. Since I wrote
to you before we have been on two long marches and have had 5 fights with the rebs.
We left Franklin Tenn. on the 30
th August and was go 17 days after old Gen. Wheeler
and then came back, stayed 10 days in camp and set out after Forrest and have been
on the go ever since. We are in camp now at a place called 4 Mile Creek on the Tenn.
River 12 miles above Florence right at the Sholes whare the rebs cross the river in
the State of Alabamma.
The nearest railroad station is Athens on the Nashville and
Decater railroad about 24 miles distant. How long we will stay here I do not know but
I think we will stay here or around here for some time. This is the most lonesome
country that I ever have seen. Most of the people ar gone and left there home. Some
of them have left and gone north because they wer union and others because the armys
have taken all that they had and what few there is remaining is the worst rebs I
I ever saw in my life and the meanest acting and most ignorant set of folks that
could well be imagined. They are living here right whare they have no chance to comm-
unicate with the world since the war and that aint all. I think they did not before.
If they did they don’t show it in any way. There is no force of the enemy on this side
of the river now but there is plenty of bush whackers who are on the look out to
shoot our pickets or pick up any one who stays our of camp. It is not safe for less
than 10 or 12 to go togather. The river here at the sholes is 1 ¾ , miles wide. The
country except in the improvements is covered with a thick growth of oak grubs and
yong Hickory interspersed with Chesnut and larger oak trees. And you will no doubt be
surprised when I tell you that not more than one 5
th of it is under cultivation and
yet it has been settled for 100 years or more and this is the case all through the
South whare I have been except in Tenn. and Ky. You spoke about a Mrs. Haverlin
which you herd lecture in Berlin and tell something about 3000 of our men confined
there by a judge who had been in the rebble army for small offences. I have never
seen this women that you speak about that I know about, but I venture this assersion
that she eather told you something she did not know anything about orels she was
trying to deceive you for some porpose or another, and I will give you my reasons for
thinking so. First we do not rais men who have been in the rebble army to positions
of any kind in ours, and second when a Soldier commits an offens of any kind he is
reyed by a Court Martial composed of commissioned officers of different commands of
our army and if convicted of the charges brought against him he is sentenced by the
highest Millatary officer commanding the Department which he is in and then it is
subject to the approveal of disapproveal of the President of the United States. So I
think she was telling something she did not know anything about. And for being late
for Role Call is an offence we do not pay any attention to unless one gets in the
habbet of it but there is no offens committed in the army punished more severely
than Disobedience of Orders except desertion for the life and success of an army
building a new Schoolhouse if they can do it with out quarling about it. I sup-
pose your having grait times about election. We ar having loud times here about it.
Some for Mc. and some for Abe. There is nothing els talked about around our camp
fires but that and I can not tell yet who will get the vote of this regiment but I
think Abe wil come out ahead. Our company is about eaqual between Mc. and Abe but
election is close at hand and that wil settle the has. Hardly think we will get
a chance to vote anyway for it is more than likely we wil be marching or fighting
than voting. But election wil be over by the time you get this so I wil say no
more about it. There is some of the substitutes and Drafted men begining to think they
have stayed long enough and ar leaving on there own hook. Two went out of our comp-
any the other night. They came last fall and have been in only one year and there
was 4 more went out of the regiment night before last. One of them that went from
our company lives in Ionia. He took a watch under pretence to see if it kept good
time, as he sed he would by it if it did. Borrowed one of the boys revolvers and
Borrowed money of one and another in the regiment to the amount of about $150 and
then left. So much for a substitute, a man that came for money to fight for his
country. The name of this fellow is Wm. Eldrige. If you should happen to see any
one of that name just ask him if he ever belonged to company C. 2
nd Mich. Cav.
Wel I guess that I have scribbled long enough at any rate I think you wil be tired
reading, so hoping to here from yo agane I remain your humble army correspondent J.W.
