1st Michigan Infantry & 7th Michigan Cavalry

Item LTR-540

Description

4 pages, original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

Camp Michigan
Annapolis Junction, Maryland

January 23rd 1862

Dear Mother,

I got your letter tonight and was happy to hear that you was well. I have written one letter to you this week to let you know that I had sent ten dollars to the Express office for you at Owosso. I have no news to write of interest. I sent you a paper that has some news in. If you get the Detroit papers every week I want you to send them to me. I will send the Baltimore papers to you sometimes.

I guess I shall be back to home by spring. I have been to work at carpenter work for the last three weeks. I have just got the best gold pen that ever you saw. I will send you some postal stamps so you will not be troubled for them. I know it is some bother to get them there. I wish I was to home tonight to answer all your question. I will tell you what the two words mean. Taps is the last beat of the drum at night. When all lights must be put out and every must go to bed and make no noise. Reveille calls us up in the morning when we must be present at roll call in our regiment. Taps and all other calls are sounded with the bugle. I got a letter from both of the girls last week. I can’t write much this time for I don’t know what to write. If I were we would find enough to write about, talk about I mean. Give my love to Duck and Pa. Tell them that I should like to see them very much. I wrote to Tom Gulford but he has not wrote to me. I don’t know why. If you see him tell him to write to me.

But I guess I have wrote nonsense enough for you this time. If we get into any fight at all it will be this month, for they are making a forward movement all along the line. General McClellan has ordered us to be in readiness to mass up to support the rear of the army. I don’t think we shall go into the field of battle though. I suppose the rebels are catching if from all sides now. But I must stop.

William McMurphy