Nashville Tenn.

May 22nd 1864

Dearest Ettie,

I found your very sad cover letter awaiting me when I returned from Louisville last Thursday and glad indeed was I to see it, also one from brother, each containing one from Horace. God grant he may still be well as there for he has been in the leaden hail and it may be the ‘dread messenger,’ sped a bullet for him. I saw in the Louisville paper an account of his brigade being engaged in the first of the fighting. I wrote to him Friday. The latest news is very encouraging and I hope we shall hear that Atlanta is ours again soon. Lt. Savage is just returned from Chattanooga and he says the Lt. M (?) at C. (Chattanooga?) told him he issued rations for 150,000 men the day previously – who are south of that play. I wish Grad had as much. I am glad those “Hundred-day men” are being sent on so promptly and I shall not be surprised if we owe the taking of Richmond or at least the defeat of Lee to the reinforcements sent forward by those same men taking the place of veteran soldiers in the vicinity of Washington. I would that much had some of the honor of offering such a help to the Govt. I am sure the men would have been forthcoming if the Gov. had called them. The report is current here that they are to come and relieve us. The Col. Is still confident we shall be relieved in a few weeks at least. I think we shall go the first of next month and it is said we go to Decatur. I am ready to go for I think it will be the best place for me that the duty will be lighter for the boys and health equally good while we shall all save more money.

I am inclined to think I have the best opinion of Lizzie (?) of any of you, yet though you were disposed to quarrell (sic) with once on @ times you remember. There are many good traits in her character, as indeed there are indeed in nearly all and there is little doubt that she strove hard to conceal the bad ones while with us. She is really possessed of considerable ability in many respects, but I do not believe she has a very warm heart. If she has much affection for anybody, I think she has a great deal of success in hiding it. She is scarcely the person I would wish to make a confident of or that I would like to rely on as a “friend in need.” Nevertheless, she has been a pleasant visitor through the winter.

Anna wrote me as soon as she got home. I am sure she left us feeling very differently from the way she did when she was in Mich. Before, and I am sure also that she would prefer to stay with you all the time, if Aunt M____ would sell her farm and so arrange her property that she could live as well without her. She never owned to me that she did not enjoy the other visit but Mrs. Smith said as much to me. I have not visited that lady except one call of a few minutes. I liked her appearance well. Her husband is gone to the front, but she has plenty of company. I should think for she seems to be overseer of the cooking for a dozen or twenty agents of the Christian Commission.

I am delighted with you pictures – Will’s is perfect. Willie screamed out loud enough to be heard – well a long distance – “hallow ! Bill Gallup sure as the d___l!” – and looked at it a long time saying it was perfect – He thinks very highly of Will. Yours is good but as you say rather light. Thank you for them. I cannot tell you what pleasure I looked on them. As I write the band is playing national airs and it is difficult for me to think of my writing and before that the boys in the room bothered me with their talking so that I am making a miserable letter of this. I wish you could hear the band. There is something so soul stirring in it that my pen wants to keep time to the music rather than to my thoughts. And then when I am out on duty at ‘guard mounting’ etc. when the band strikes up and the boys move off as one man, the polished arms glistening in the sunlight and every lad falling exactly with the time of the music, it seems to me that I never wish to be anything but a soldier. Since I began this a regiment of Hundre-day-men came in and are going to stop here. I have been to church today in company with Will and Adjt. Rowley – formerely 1st Lt. Of Co. C and a fine fellow (Henry K. Rowley, Adrian. Enlisted in company C, Eighteenth Infantry, as First Sergeant, July 24, 1862, at Adrian, for 3 years, age 20. Mustered Aug. 26, 1862. Commissioned Second Lieutenant Nov. 7, 1862. Commissioned First Lieutenant Aug. 1, 1863. Mustered Aug. 12, 1863. Commissioned Adjutant April 17, 1864. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., June 26, 1865.). I am lucky in being on duty on Saturday’s and having Sunday’s to myself. I have been on duty but one Sunday since I came back. Pa said Will sold their cattle well. I should think and they were nice ones. I hope the currents, strawberries, etc., are not killed. We had a mess of the latter berries for supper yesterday. It is quite warm and I have shed my undershirts. Woolly Ware (George W. Ware, Medina. Enlisted in company H, Eighteenth Infantry, Feb. 27, 1864, at Medina, for 3 years, age 35. Mustered Feb. 29, 1864. Taken prisoner at Athens, Ala., Sept. 24, 1864. Died in prison at Cahaba, Ala., Nov. 5, 1864. Buried at Cahaba, Ala.) came a few days since & was assigned to Co. H. Also Charlie Leord (?) who is sent to C. G. and Mark Curtis (Marcus A. Curtis. Enlisted in company H. Eighteenth Infantry, Dec. 26, 1863, at Dover, for 3 years, age 21. Mustered Jan. 12, 1864. Entered St. Mary’s Hospital March 19, 1865. Discharged at Detroit, Mich., May 19, 1865.) who is in H. or F. Newman (William B. Newman. Enlisted in company G, Eighteenth Infantry, Feb. 18, 1864, at Hudson, for 3 years, age 35. Mustered March 11, 1864. Joined regiment at Decatur, Ala., Aug. 21, 1864. Discharged at Louisville, Ky., July 3, 1865.) and Babcock (probably Hiram V. Babcock, Dover. Enlisted in company G, Eighteenth Infantry, Feb. 15, 1864, at Dover, for 3 years, age 45. Mustered Feb. 29, 1864. Joined regiment at Decatur, Ala., Aug. 26, 1864. Died of disease at Decatur, Ala., Sept. 3, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery at Corinth, Miss. Original place of interment, Decatur, Ala.) are not here yet. Henry Allen (Henry Allen, Lenawee County. Enlisted in company B, Eighteenth Infantry, Jan. 4, 1864, at Medina, for 3 years, age 21. Mustered Jan. 12, 1864. Joined regiment at Nashville, Tenn., April 6, 1864. Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., May 18, 1864.) is dead. Alonso Knapp (Alonzo E. Knapp, Lenawee County. Enlisted in company B, Eighteenth Infantry, Jan. 2, 1864, at Medina, for 3 years, age 18. Mustered Jan. 12, 1864. Joined regiment at Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 25, 1864. Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., May 24, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery at Nashville, Tenn.) is sick, also Blewfield (William H. Blewfield, Morenci. Enlisted in company C, Eighteenth Infantry, Feb. 23, 1864, at Medina, for 3 years, age 20. Mustered Feb. 29, 1864. Killed in action at Athens, Ala., Sept. 24, 1864). Write as often as you can. Love to Will and all.

Very Affectionately, Charlie

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