Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/winchell-edward-a/
Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp Michigan Jan 27th, 1861
Dear Mother,
I received your letter
about one week ago and I should have
answered it before but the regiment
went on picket the day after I
received it and was gone three days
it rained all of the time and we had
nothing but huts built of cedar
bows Some way or other I caught a bad
cold and in consequence I have been
quite unwell I am all over it now
and as well as ever the articles sent
by you and the rest of the folks
came very handy for I had been in
want of socks for some time and
they are a good deal nicer than U
Sam his being made of horse hair or some
thing of that sort. As for the towels I
have not had any since the middle
of the summer and have used
my handkerchief the place of one
I divided the cakes with the boys in
my squad and they thought they were
the best they ever ate Any thing that
comes from Mich no matter what
it is is better than any thing they can get
here. It is after taps and I should have
the light out but it is the only
time that I can get when it is quiet
I commenced a letter to you last
night but three or four boys came
in and commenced talking one got
on the bed with his feet hanging
down within about six inches of my
face so I thought I would quit
and I did quit but I have commenced
again and I am a going to finish
this time. In the place of a candle
I have a canteen filled with grease fried
from bacon it give a very good light
but it is not quite as free from
smoke as the lamps you have at
home. Sunday morning we buried
one of the boys of our company he died of
typhoid fever he was a boy liked by the
whole company and always done his duty
He makes the third one that has
died out of our company since we
arrived at Washington.
Mother I think I have had better
health since I have been in the army
than I had at home it is now going
on nine months since I enlisted
and I have only been
sick four days three
soon after we arrived here and one
day since I think that is pretty
well dont you I see by your letter
that Mary was admitted to the
high school I am very glad of
that for I know that she
used to study hard when I was at home
and from your letter I know that
she studied harder since I been
gone I hope she will like the teachers
for that is a good deal for I know
when I went to school if I liked
my teachers
I would always try harder to please
them and the only way to do that is
to get ones lessons perfectly How is Charles
getting along at school I suppose he is
a good deal like myself when I was a
little fellow rather play than go to school
tell him that I want to get a letter
from him before long tell him he
must be a good boy and his mother what
I did not do when I was younger.
Have you had a letter from father lately
or has he stopped writing again
Have you received the money that I
sent in a letter to Add I have not hear
from Uncle or Frank for quite a while
I received the weekly Advertiser a day or
so ago I suppose it came from Uncle
Geiger. How is Emma and the little
youngster getting along I would like to get a
letter from Emma but I suppose she has
as much as she can attend to to take
care of the baby. When you write to me again
you must tell me how you are getting along
at home and how Aunty Geiger and
Grandmother is getting along. This is
a very short letter and what is worse
it is a very dull one but you must excuse
me as I am no hurry to write letters
Next time I will write a longer
one so good bye give my love to all
of the folks and the biggest share
for yourself. Ed A Winchell
My pen is poor
My ink is pail
My love you
Will never fail.
Dear Mother
Ed
[On Envelope:]
Mrs. G. Winchell
Care A. H. Winchell Detroit
Box 484 Mich.
