5th Michigan Infantry & Veteran Reserve Corps

Item LTR-10585

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


June 29, 1864

Dear Friend,

I received your letter just now and I thought I would answer it and let you know that I received that money all safe. I am getting better very fast now. It is a very pleasant place here. But they don’t live very well here. It is a new hospital and they have not gotten things agoing as they will after a while. I left the regiment the first of June. There was not but a few left in the regiment when I came away. There is 9 of the regiment here besides me. George Dewey wanted me to ask you if George Newton has gotten home. I have not seen him since they left the battlefield of the Wilderness. I took care of his wound most of the time he was there. He received a letter from our state agent and he read as soon as they got that hospital finished in Detroit, that we would be sent there. If I get well too fast, they may put me on duty here. That is the way they do here now.

Farmers here are harvesting now. Cherries have been ripe these 10 days. We are having very warm weather here now. Tell Ike I seen enough fighting before I left the regiment. You must ask Bill Morris how he like war. He left the regiment the 22nd of March. Ask him how he likes hard tack. I have seen men offer 25 cents apiece for hard tack.

Tell Ike he must look out and not get drafted into the army now. I cannot think of any more to write at present. I guess you think this is enough of such writing as this.

William
S. F. Lerich
Hadding Hospital
West Philadelphia