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Regiment: 2nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp near Alexandria Oct 1st /62
Dear Mother
I received your very kind
letter a day or so ago and I feel
ashamed of my self for not writing before this
I am well as usual and I hope this will find
you the same Dear Mother, I have not had
an opportunity to see Johnny Wickham as yet
but I will go to Alexandria and see hi as
soon as I get a pass it is very difficult
matter to get a pass now a days Our division
has not been any of the late battles
but we have been under marching orders
all of the time and we have been moving
around a good deal but only about two
miles at a time I dont think we will
see any more fighting this fall I think
we will remain around Washington or
Alexandria this winter but I would be
willing to run my chances in one or two
more battles this fall if it would
end the war but I guess we will have
to see our three years out in the service
but thank God my life has been
spared so long and I pray that it may
be spared longer. I have been in seven (7)
large battles and escaped through all
of them without even so much as a
scratch. I think I have been very lucky
dont you mother. A battles is not like what I thought
is was before I inlisted I always supposed
that the two armies met each other in
the open fields and took a fair
stand up fight but it is not so we
do the most of our fighting in the
woods and the man that can get
the bigest tree is the best fellow and is
the most likely to come out of the
fight alive at least I think so. In the retreat from the Pininsala
five companys of our regiment and
our company among the rest got
separated from the rest of the
regiment and crossed the wrong ford
and before we knew it we came upon the
rebels in large force so all five companies
deployed as skirmishers to hold the
rebels in check until
our small force
recrossed the ford again the rebels came
on beating and yelling at the greatest
rate and I expected every minute to hear
a vollet but they did not mak their
appearance until we were just a crossing the
ford when they opened on us with grape and
canister and musketry but they did not
do much damage for it was geting dark
and they fired too high I have noticed
several times how a man will get behind
any little object when the bullets are a
flying around pretty thick several times
I have found my self behind a little
sapling about two inches thick
and I tell you what it is one feels
a good deal more safe when he is
behind something of the sort.
We had quite an amusing time
yesterday afternoon there was two little
boys between 8 and nine years of age
came into our camp and sung union
songs all of the afternoon after
singing one of the songs they would
pass around the hat and in
that way I guess they made about
$25 pretty good for such young
Boys wasnt it. How is Charley
geting along at school does he
improve much and has he got in
to arithmetic tell him that he
mustent forget me and that I will
send him a corn dodger some of
these days for his dinner or if
that wont do I will send him
some money to buy one with
as soon as I get my money from
Uncle Sam. Mother I expect
to go to Alexandria tomorrow and
I will see Johnny Wickham if it is a
possible thing to find him Dear mother I would write a longer
letter but the boys are making such
a noise that I dont know what I
am about I will write again in a day
or so and send you some money Give my
love to Mary Charley and accept the same yourself dear mother
Good Bye from you affectionate
son
Ed A. Winchell
[On Envelope:]
Mary G. Winchell
Detroit
Care of Martin Geiger
Mich
Advertiser and Tribune
