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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp near Fort Lyons Nov 8th 61
Dear Cousin Bill
I received your letter yesterday and
shold have answered it the same
night but it was so cold that I
had to sit by the fire to keep
warm. We have built fire places in
each of the tents and so we manage
to live quite comfortable we have
very cold weather down here most
of the time. Bill I am a going
to tell you something what you
never would think and that is I
had to stop writing and look over
all of my clothes to see if I could
not find lice and I found one
on my shirt which I threw
away if is a fact that one can not
keep him self clean if it was
to save his life there is so many
in the company that will not
try to keep them off I dont want
you to tell all of the boys what
I have said because they would
not think much of me if it
they thought I had any of those
monsters but enough of that.
We are encamped on a high hill
over looking both Washington and
Alexandria and about three miles
below Alexandria about six
miles from Mt. Vernon the drum
is beating and I have to go and
drill. We drilled all of the afternoon
with our knapsacks on our backs
besides drilling all of the mor
ning with them so you se that
that most of our time is
taken up with drill they think
that is the officers think that
they will make us drill enough
this month to pay up for
not drilling next when it
is cold. There is some talk
of us a going to Alexandria
to stay this winter I do not think
there is anything in it but
I hope then is it would be so
much more comfortable for
us. There was one of our regiment
wounded in the side on
Thursday before the battle of
Bulls Run and was taken
prisoner I thought he was dead
but he came back the other
day the secesh let him go
because he was a little lame
they thought he would not
be able to fight any more and
he wont. I suppose we will get
our pay before long when I will
get twenty six dollars fifteen
of which I am a going to send
home that will make forty
dollars I will have sent home
I think that is pretty good
dont you We just had on of the
storms that I ever saw
it rained two nights and a day
and the way the wind blew was
fearful it blew about half
of our tents down and left the
boys out in the rain without any
shelter Hunting creak a small
stream raised so high that
teams could not go to Alexandria
and in consequence we did not
get our bread regular for three
or four days. There was three
colored people tried to cross the creek
and when they got half way a
cross they got scared and went
to turn around when the wagon
upset two of them got to shore
but one of the other together
with two hogs one of the horses and
the wagon all drowned it was
too bad
Nov 9th I could not finish the
letter last night so it will make
it one day later. Last night the
sergeants had orders to count the
guns in each of the tents you
know we have the old musket
and the reason that they counted
them I think is that we are
a going to get rifles I hope it
is so. There was two of the third
regiment shot while on picket
the was of it was this two of
the regiment went out as
soon as it got dark
[ ? ] on
potatoes and the like and when
they came back the sentinel
halted them and demaded
the countersign and instead
of halting they kept on
and the sentinel thinking
they were secesh shot at one
and shot him in the mouth
and knocked
him in the
his teeth out when he shot
the man dead that is the way
most of our men is killed
by their own men. I dont know if
I will have time to finish this
Before drill or not but I will
try. Bill I think you must
have a goodeal of work to do now
that Ben has gone for a soldier
what did your father and mother
think about Ben inlisting
wouldnt they rather he would
have staied home. You say that
every time you say anything about
inlisting your mother threatens to break
your neck I am glad of it for
you are to young to think
of coming you dont know
what it is and I hope you
never will do you think
you would be able to carry a
knapsack on your back that
weighs twenty pounds
I hardly think you would.
You must not think any
thing about it. Sometimes I
go fishing in the Potomac
which is about a mile from
our camp we catch perch, sun
fish shiners and eels and
sometimes bull heads no matter
how small so they are the shape
of a fish they is not as good a
place to fish as there was at camp
Scott where we fished of the
rocks the eels that we catch is
not very big six eight and
twelve inches being the average
size. Bill do you ever see George
Weatherspoon If so how
is he geting along and what is
he working at I heard that he
had inlisted again is it so. It is
raining and our tents are so worn
that the water comes
through like fun they say we are a
going to have new tents before
long but it takes so long for every
thing to get around there are so
many men to attend. You said in
your letter that Claud Thomas would not
be private long what did you mean The first
regiment is thirty miles up the Potomac
opposite Boonsville in Maryland I
have not heard from Tom Kennedy since he
first arrived in Washington he sent a
not to me then say he was well and
would like to se me but I could not get
a pass to go and see him. Bill I want you
to send Bens address as soon as you
hear from him and then I will write
and give him the news here and he can give me
the news that occurs there. We dont have very hard
times here except drilling picketing is nothing
now to what it was on Munsons hill there we
had to crawl on our hands and knees to relieve
the picket and then we had to keep our whole back
covered for fear of being shot one day a whole company
of secesh came down from the hill and we saw them
before they did us and fired into them breaking
one of their mens hips when they shot at us without
any damage I tell you what it is
the bullets came little
too near for safety
but I did not get
hurt and
so it is
all
right Give my love to you folks and
Betsy and keep a share for yourself.
remember me to all of the boys that I know and to
Casper Kringle
Good Bye. From Ed to Bell
You must excuse the writing as you know how that I was always
a poor human.
[On Envelope:]
William H. Christian
Care of M. P. Christian
Detroit
Advertiser Off
Michigan
