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https://micivilwar.com/authors/winchell-edward-a/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp Michigan Feb 24th 1862
Dear Cousin Millie,
I have no excuse to offer for not writing to you before. I have been at the
point of writing several times but I did not know whether you would think me worth
writing to or not so I have let it pass until now. I guess it will be just as good when it
does get there though.
You ask me if I would like to hear from you. Why of course I would. The
more letters the better, I wouldn’t care if I could get one everyday but the worst of it
is I am about placed out in answering letters. I can never think of anything to say. I
don’t believe there is a boy in the army that writes as poor a letters or as poor a
hand in writing as I. One would think that I had just learned to write but never
mind that. If you can’t make out the words send the letter back and I will write
plainer if it is a possible thing for me to so. I will have to stop for a while for I have
to get ready to drill.
Feb. 25th I commenced this letter yesterday and have not been able to finish it
yet. After we got through drilling orders came for us to march with one days rations
in our haversack. We had to go right off with our dinners. It was all we could
do to get through the mud but after traveling for about one hour almost on a run we
arrived at our destination which was a high hill about two miles from camp. We
took out stand on one side of the hill and about an hour afterwards a battery of six
guns came up and were planted on the hill. All we had to do now was to wait for the
enemy to come up and give us fight but after waiting until very near dark and seeing
no signs of the enemy we returned to camp a hungry and tired set. The hill we were
on commanded the whole of the surrounding country for miles.
The wind blew so hard that half of the tents in our regiment were lying on
the ground and all the tents of the fifth were down.
The other day we had a drill and there was a turnip patch that we had to
cross and the mud was so sticky we carried the whole patch off and set it on a
meadow. We done the same thing with a peach orchard and the man was a going to
complain to Gen. Richardson. We told him it would do him no good so he did not
complain.
I have not much more to say only that if the mud is as deep in Michigan as it
is I pity you. Yesterday there was sixteen horses on one wagon and than they
could not get it up the hill. You may judge by that how deep the mud is.
The boys are so noisy that I can’t write without making a great many
mistakes. I have got to prepare for drill and so I will have to wind up.
Give my love to all of the folks and also to all the pretty girls – now don’t
forget. Good bye.
Ed Winchell
P.S. Tell Add to send me the Mercury. Answer this as soon as you can.
