From: jeromema@cc.uvcc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.war.civil.usa
Subject: Letters of a German-born Union Soldier
Date: 30 Jul 92 19:06:31 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley Community College


     The following are transcripts of the only surviving letters of
my 3rd great grandfather Wilhem Kruger.  He was born in 1835 in Rogzon,
Koslin, Pomerania and came to America with his father's family prior to
his majority.  On July 1, 1855 he married Louisa Muller in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.  They made their home, first, in Mishicott, Manitowoc county,
then Eldorado, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin.  By the time he enlisted
on February 24, 1864, into Company G, 36th Wisconsin Infantry, he was
the father of five children, the oldest being nine years old and the
youngest only a month old.  German-born soldiers were not well thought
of by the native-born soldiers.
     As you can see by his letters, he had taken a casual leave of
his family on the day of his enlistment, as he was sure that he would
see them again before being sent into battle.  He never did see them
again, and it bothered him deeply that he hadn't been able to say a
more proper and tender farewell.  His wife tried to see him once, but
for whatever reason, didn't get on the right train that would take her
to Madison, Wisconsin, and instead ended up in Chicago.  This upset her
quite a bit, as she apparently attempted the journey alone, taking only
the baby with her.
     Wilhelm's desire to see his wife again was acute, as one of
the letters points out, that he sat up on his bunk one evening with
all of his senses telling him that she was actually standing there
at the foot of it.  Which she wasn't.  He then took the phenomenon
as an omen, thinking that something had happened at home.
     The day that Wilhelm saw his last battle was on June 1st,
1864.  His company and three others of the 36th Wisconsin were sent
out as a heavy skirmish line to make a demonstration on the extreme
right of the Confederate breastworks at Cold Harbor.  The Union
right at the time was being heavily pressed by the Confederates and
this demonstration was attempting to relieve pressure by making the
Confederates think that an attack was in the offing on their own
right.  The 36th were not veterans and didn't know exactly what was
expected of them.  Veteran units would have marched out, fired a
volley or two and then slowly retired to their lines.  The 36th on
the other hand, marched out, fired a volley and then charged the
Confederate breastworks.  Apparently some of them actually made it
over the top before being killed or wounded.  Wilhelm became one of
the wounded, and being too close to the Confederate units they had
engaged, was picked up as a prisoner.  Over half of the 240 men of
the 36th who made the charge did not come back.
     Wilhelm was sent first to Libby prison in Richmond, a prison
normally used for captured Union officers.  Soon after he was
transported along with hundreds of soldiers to Andersonville, near
Sumter, Georgia.  He survived over three months in this pest hole
until mid-September when he died on the 18th, after having been
reduced to a living skeleton from disease and starvation.

                      +------ ***** ------+

                                       Camp Randall Mar 16, 1864
Beloved Wife:
          I inform you herewith that I am still well.  Whether I
will ever see you again is in God's hands, because it looks as if
we shall not get a furlough, yet one doesn't know for sure.  On
Monday the 14th of March we were quartered here in the United
Service, up to now we haven't received any clothing.  So many are
here now and more arrive each day, there are now over 6 thousand
here.  I don't like it at all, sleep is the worst, for we have
only a blanket, no straw and nothing is allowed.  Now we must
drill, our food would be all right if it were prepared beter - we
get beans, meat, bread, cheese, but often we can hardly eat it.
We hope from day to day to get our clothing, then we'll also get
our papers about the town bounty.  As soon as I get mine I'll
send it to Brother Anton and write him that he should get the
bounty from the Town of Marshfield for you.  They don't know when
we'll get the other money, but it will be before we leave here.
There's much talk - some say we're going to Memphis for drill
because there's so much mud here.  Yet noone really knows.
Brother Meier and Kroning are still well, every day some are sent
to hospital.  One man was still healthy this morning, in the
evening he got sick and the next morning he was already dead.
This teaches one to stay on the job, which costs much self
discipline (?) here.  But the Lord will.....


                                     Camp Randall, March 25, 1864
Dear Wife:
          I herewith report to you that I am still well and
healthy and I hope that this message may reach you also in good
health.  I wrote you before and have no answer yet, which worries
me somewhat.  Yet when I consider your situation I can understand
it, for I know that you have no writing material in the house and
no money and can't ever leave the house yourself. But I beg of
you, try to write me, go to the nearest neighbor and borrow
something.  I'll send you money as soon as I get some.  I wrote
you everything that happened, now we received clothing: 1 coat, 1
pair of pants, 2 underpants, 2 shirts, 2 pairs of socks. And we
also received the duplicates of the Town Bounty.  Yesterday, the
24th of March, we were mustered into the regiment, now we still
don't know whether we'll get a furlough or not, once before it
was said we were to leave here for Racine, yesterday we were told
our company would go to Fond du Lac to drill and keep order when
the draft takes place, but nothing of all that has become
certain.  Now I want to wait a few more days how things turn out,
whether we can still get away - if not, I'll send you the
duplicates and you must take them to the Justice and swear that
you are my wife and then you will get the money.  I'll soon write
you more about this.  I also wrote a letter to my father, also to
Franz (?) to Fond du Lac.  I like it not much more, if I only
knew whether all of you are all right and well.  Now we must
drill 6 hours a day and (have) do other work on the side, we now
dole out food for 500 men each day.  It looks nice when the old
regiments drill with good music.  Now the 12th and 16th regiments
are here, which are still being filled out, also the 3rd regiment
came here Thursday from Green Bay (and) should be mustered here.
We won't get our state's bounty until we leave here or get
furlough, so they did with all those who left here because when
they get money here they always leave secretly, the guilty must
suffer with the innocent (!)  We can't even go to the city and
must..., that takes 408 men each day.  Much wickedness is
perpetrated every day, which is to be expected.  They are
punished but don't care.  There's dancing, card playing and
frequent fights.  Every day some land in the bull pen, and are
chained, 2 from our company died and 6 others are still in the
hospital.  There are draftees here, they must drill 8 hours daily
and when they go to the city a guard with a gun goes along.  Our
company gets praise in our regiment.  I like the drill very much.
Now, dear wife, I must close because I'm out of space.  I send
you many greetings herewith.
                                       Your loving husband
                                         Wilhelm Kruger
                         God bless you.
      (Brother Meier and Konig are also well and send greetings
to all friends and acquaintances.)


Dear Wife:
          Before I sent this letter another report came that we
would lose the Bounty if we didn't send off the duplicate by
April 1.  I went to work at once and wrote Brother Wenz and
expect to get his answer today.  I also wrote to Marshfield and
had a power of attorney made out to Brother Wenz.  He will
receive the money and take care of it for you.  It looks as if
we're going to be confounded here we're not getting a furlough
but the whole regiment will be forced to leave if there's no
other way.  Tomorrow the guns are to be doled out and then we're
supposed to leave as soon as we have our money.  Some companies
already have their money, everyday one is paid out.  Time runs
out for me to write more.  Many regards to you and all the
neighbors from your dear husband.
                                                  Wilhelm Kruger
                                   (Camp Randall, March 31, 1864)


Dear Wife:
          Again I take up my pen to give you an account of my
life.  I am still healthy and thank God for it which I already
wrote you before.  I don't know why you don't write me.  I've
written you twice already and have no answer from you.  I don't
know - do my letters get lost or yours.  Brother Wenz wrote me
that you are well, so Sister Stern told him.  I wrote you
everything that happened here befre, what I did not write yet is
that I don't know whether I'll remain in this regiment or not.
Half our company wants to leave because our Colonel is a mean
fellow.  We must drill 6 1/2 hours every day now and the mud is
so deep that it almost goes into our boots and they don't care
whether it rains or snows.  We can go from the infantry to the
cavalry, if we go to the cavalry we get 15 days furlough and we
also get our city bounty at once but afterward we get to the
regiments right away.  But it's better in the old regiments than
in the new ones.  They get everything right away, they get their
clothing also better provisions then the new ones get.  There
wasn't snow when we arrived here but it was rather cold a few
days and we had little wood, so many got sick.  Things are bad in
the hospital here say those who have been there, over 50 have
already died this spring.  Today two women were in the hospital
and visited their husbands and when they returned today both men
were already dead.  They had bought them medicine in the city.   
       One could hardly stand to hear the yelling, each one had a
child in her arms.  They had felt pretty well the day before and
in the evening the doctor gave them  something and a few hours
later they died, that's what the guard told me that was present.
(Schl) they were from Sheboygan County.  Well, dear wife, I sent
my certificate to Brother Wenz who will draw the money.  I told
him the truth about it and he will get you the money.  I'll soon
hear from him, he'll  write me as soon as you have the money. 
Give 128 one hundred and twenty eight dollars to Liedt, Anton
Georg knows how to do it, he must make out a deed for you and you
get a mortgage, the remainder you can use where it's most urgent,
pay as many small debts as possible.  I don't know when we'll get
our money here, you might have to send me a few dollars.  I want
to buy some medicine and a few other small items.  Well, dear
wife, I don't know any more to write you for this time.  I'll
write more as soon as I get an answer from you.  I beg of you
with all my heart write me once, for everyone gets letters from
home, Kroning got one too.  Now I send you many greetings dear
wife and remain your loving husgand.

                                                  Wilhelm Kruger
                                                  March 31, 1864


                                        Camp Randall, Apr 6, 1864
Beloved Wife:
          I received your letter of the 28th and learned from it
that you are all well, which was a great joy to me.  Thank God I
too have been quite well so far, for which I am grateful to God.
I've written you three times so far and am surprised that you
received my letter so late.  I've already written four letters to
Brother Wenz, to which he answered twice.  I hope that I'll again
receive an answer from him soon.  I gave over to him the matter
of Town Bounty, we received a letter from Marshfield, that they
will pay two hundred dollars at once.  I think Brother Wenz has
the money by now.
          We cannot get the premium from the 15 dollars, there
are some people in the city who buy them for 10 dollars and then
send it away to Washington, then they get the 15 dollars.  Many
have already sold theirs.  I couldn't even get a pass to the
city, otherwise I'd want to sell mine also.  I still need many
small items, without which I cannot get along.  Everything here
is very expensive, a pair of boots costs 8 1/2 dollars, that one
can buy there for four dollars.  We get no furlough, yesterday
the order came from Washington that we are to go to the Potomac,
our captain has forbidden us to ask for any more furloughs.  It
is horrible how many people die here and get sick.  Last week six
died each day, Brother Kroning is sick too but he is still here
in the barracks, I got him medicine, he doesn't want to go to the
hospital.  He has severe headache, that would be bearable, but
sleeping is very bad.  Dear wife, if you could get me two more
shirts, but blue ones that don't soil so easily, they should be
those to wear over others, you saw them at Mrs. Schauss', you can
make them in the same manner.  Two companies have already
received their money, we hope we'll get ours soon too.  Well,
dear wife, I don't know anything else to write, one can't write
as one would like to.  Our Colonel is a very wicked man.  Now
dear wife, don't tire in writing to me, for it is my greatest joy
to get a letter from you.  Don't despair, I hope to come back to
all of you, you know best how to take care of things at home.  I
just wrote to Mischijadt and asked her to write to you.  When you
write to me again, write how everything is and whether you have
money already and how things are going at home.  Is all the snow
gone already?  Finally I send all of you many greetings.
                                        Your loving husband,
                                            Wilhelm Kruger


                                     Camp Randall, April 14, 1864
      Dear Wife:
          I must let you know that I am still well and as I heard
from Brother Wenz you are too.  He wrote us that he gave you the
money, also wrote that next Sunday is the quarterly meeting which
I would like to attend but it can't be, unless we get a furlough
but we have heard nothing about that.  Now we might get our
money; perhaps our company arrives tomorrow.  Now we get $73.  I
haven't even been out of camp since I've been here.  Sickness is
getting worse and worse, daily more get sick, last week many
died, 10 to 15 every day, 3 of our own company died.  Maybe we'll
get home next month, many of our regiment have already run away,
but some were recaptured.  Everything else might be bearable, but
sleeping is the worst, one can't even get warm at night,in the
morning we have to get up at 5 o'clock for roll call and evenings
at 9:30, noons at 12.  The food is fair, who has a tough nature
gets along and who can shove and grab, the meat sometimes smells
and is only half cooked, we get it at 11 o'clock and we always
eat at 12:30.  Well, dear wife, I don't know anything new to
write you for this time.  It seems to me you are rather lazy in
writing.  We'll soon find out now whether we'll get a furlough or
not.  If I don't get one then I'll write you again at once.
Either we get home soon or we go south, this camp is already
overcrowded and every day more and more arrive.  The rest of the
money that I don't need I'll send you if I don't come myself.
Well, I hope this letter reaches you in good health and I hope
that the good Lord will protect you and also help me to bear my
burdens.  Trust in Him, then everything will turn out well.  Many
regards to you and to all friends and acquaintances from
                                         your loving husband
                                             Wilhelm Kruger

         Write me very soon, I won't write to you until you have
written to me.  As I was just writing, our captain came, we'll
not get a furlough, but soon we must leave here.


                                  Camp Randall, April 18, 1864
Dear Wife:
          With a sad heart I must let you know that I'll not get
a furlough.  I received your letter of April 8, and the enclosed
5 dollars.  The same day I received the letter we received our
pay, 72 dollars and six schillings.  Dear wife, I had forgotten
about the oats.  But I believe that he paid, I had not yet
arranged with Krenelken how he wanted to take the land because I
believed I would come back soon.  The school bell is paid for and
I had promised 4 dollars salary to the society, for the school
another 2 schillings.  I'm short of time.  I hereby send you 50
dollars in greenbacks, see to it that you do your best, write me
at once whether you received the money.  Send me the shirts if
you can, if not then wait a while until I write you again.  I
send you sincere greetings and...
                                            W. Kruger


                                       Camp Randall, April 26
      Dear Wife:
          May God's blessing be with you!  I received your letter
of April 15th and see that you and my dear children are still
well which makes me very happy.  As far as I'm concerned, I am
still well so far, too.  Dear wife I hope I will see you once
more before I leave this state but now all hope is gone and we
must keep ourselves ready for travel at all times.  Last week I
had a furlough but I had.....received the 5 dollars.  Next week
we get paid again and so I have.....and the 8 dollars of your
monthly money you'll get in Taudelix (?) and I also took care of
the Bounty and Brother Anton will fill that out for you and also
of my salary you'll get some on the 14th of May.  I'll send you
my clothes.  I think they're worth more than the cost of freight.
I have a pair of shoes that are too wide for marching, I'll send
those, too.  They cost us 2 dollars 85 cents, if you can sell
them sell them but not cheaper for they cost over 3 schillings
(PG), here everything is so expensive, 1 pair st. cost 9-10
dollars, a pair of shoes you can't get (for) 5 dollars.  Dear
wife, Boh told me you wanted to come which I would have liked
very much, but I can't imagine where you wanted to leave all the
dear children.  To your question about my state of mind (or
spirits) I must tell you that I still trust in God, but one sees
and hears nothing but evil, so one must struggle and pray, dear
wife.  I cannot write as I feel, its as if my heart would break
when I think of my dear family, yet I always find consolation in
God.  Michel will soon visit you, as he wrote me, he wants to
look at the vicinity.  I wrote him another letter, he has a hired
man and Johanna has two little girls.


                                        Camp Randall, May 4, 1864
Dearly beloved Wife:
          I received your letter and see from it that you are
still well, which is always a great joy for me.  I see from your
letter that you don't have all the letters I wrote you yet and I
already wrote you that I received the shirts and that I sent you
my clothes.  Also about the money, that I won't get any more and
that at that time I (sent) it to you all except the 5 dollars.  I
hope by this time you have that letter, otherwise it got lost.
Now you'll get 40 dollars B. and 16 dollars of my pay and that
you'll also get this month.  Dear wife, I would have liked to see
you once more but I can't give you any advice agout how you could
manage it.  I can't find out anything about what you wrote, there
are many women here who visited their husbands, but the Colonel
didn't let them off.  If you make the trip it might happen as in
Family --- at the Pro--- he ---.  But if you can, you must try. I
can't get a furlough and we don't know when we have to leave from
here, it can be one day as well as another, you can find out best
in Fond du Lac at the Provost Marshall's office, he's the one who
gets the order first.  Now we're all alone here, the other
regiments have all left, the draftees are still here and the
invalids.  Dear wife, I tried to get away on furlough but the
fact is, the Germans are always the last ones.  I would have
liked to be home once more to see my dear children and you but I
just can't.  I trust in God that I'll return again but no man
knows and if we shouldn't see each other here again that we'll
see each other above.  You must inquire how things are and how
they continue to be, but if you should come again you mustn't
ride to Chicago.  One must transfer once and then the other cars
are there or if they're not, they'll soon come.  Beloved Wife, do
what you think best.  I can't give you advice about this.  If you
should come, then bring me a pair of good woolen socks because
those we got here are worthless and those I brought along I
burned.  I don't know anymore to write you.  Bring my hat along
too.  If you can't come, then write me at once and don't despair.
Up to now I've always been well, noone was as healthy as I in the
whole company.  I wasn't sick a single hour.  Now I greet you
many times and remain your loving husband Wilhelm Kruger unto
death.
      Give my regards to Storm and Krinelke and all friends.
Write me whether you have sown anything yet.


                                        Camp Randall, May 9, 1864
Dearly beloved wife:
          Again I take pen in hand to write to you.  I thought
I'd talk to you before this time, as I expected you each day, but
I was mistaken and my yearning for you is much greater, for I
think something has happened.  So I beg of you, write me as soon
as possible after you receive this letter.  It seems to me that
you don't get all my letters.  When you write me, tell me how
many letters you have received and the dates.  I've written
everything in my diary, up to now we're still in the camp, but
don't know what day we'll march, for we're prepared for it each
day.  We have everything we should have to go to the field, we
won't get to know ahead of time, but just before we march from
the gate, that morning we must report for duty with full packs.
Last week so many wives were here to visit their husbands, some
are still here now, each time a group arrived I thought you would
be among them and waited until all were present.  Thursday
evening I lay on my bed and all at once you were standing at my
bedside.  I rose up quickly, happy that you were here but
suddenly you were gone.  I don't know how this occurred for I
hadn't been sleeping.  Now I desire to know how things are at
home, whether you're all well or whether something happened, dear
wife.  I'm sending home a coat that was a little too small for
me, I have a better one now that cost me $8.85.  You can keep it
for my return.  Am sending you my gloves, shirt, pencil and pen
and also a sewing box.  I had already bought one and some items
were given us by the captain's wife.  Am also sending you a photo
of our company - save it, all names are to be found on it, so
when we face battle and some get killed and their names are in
the newspaper, then you can always see whether it was a man from
my company or not.  It cost only one dollar.  I am still healthy
and well and my wish is that this message reaches you in good
health too.  Dear wife, trust in the Lord and pray fervently that
God may be gratious unto us so that we may be found to be
faithful when our time comes.  Here it is difficult to serve God
for one can't even pray without being disturbed.  I think it will
improve when we are at the front, then not so many are together
in one tent, only ten men get into one.  Up to now I was on duty
every Sunday, except yesterday, that always rotates.  Now I don't
know what else to write, I haven't yet received the Apologater
(?).  I immediately wrote to Brother Wenz and ordered one and
sent them money.  I would like to have one.  Let me know, dearest
wife, how much you have planted already, here everything is
green, the clover is already high, now I send you many greetings
and remain your loving husband.  My greetings to Krinelke and St.
and all friends and write me how all of them are getting along
and whether they're all well.
                                          Wilhelm Kruger


                                       Camp Randall, May 9, 1864
Dearly beloved wife:
          Just as I had taken the new letter to be mailed and
returned, we received the order that we were to leave tomorrow.
We received provisions for 5 days and had to pack everything and
get ready to march off, with the same message came the news that
our General to whom we belonged had fallen on the battlefield and
30,000 men and we should report as quickly as possible in
Virginia.  The South also lost many, General Lee is said to be
wounded.  Dearest wife, I already wrote you everything and time
is short and now there's so much noise one can hardly write, some
are laughing and some are crying.  There are almost as many women
here now as men.  It will be hard for me, dear wife, to leave
without seeing you once more because I left home so casually,
with the intention of seeing you again soon.  In this I see
myself cheated but now I trust in God he will guide everything in
the best way.  Dear wife, when you write to me now you must write
down the route of the regiment.  Dear wife, do not despair, seek
your trust in God.  If it should be that we'll not see each other
on this earth again, then may we at some time see each other in
heaven.  Now I greet you with the kiss of love and remain your
loving husband unto death.
                                       Wilhelm Kruger
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