The National tribune., 1909-07-01
A WARTIME LETTER.
A Healthy Young Wolverine in Front
of Petersburg.
Camp of the 27th Mich.


Before Petersburg, Jan. %, 1865.
My Dear Sisters and Ali Friends in
Dover: 1 sit down to write a few lines
to you to let you know that l received
that delicious box that you kind-hearted
and Union-lOving sisters and friends in
and around Dover sent to me. / want
to tell you that it was pronounced to
be the best box that has ever been sent
to our regiment. oh, / can tell you
girls if ever you saw any ones eyes
open they We're mine when heard that
it had arrived all safe and sound with
everything in it. 1t was opened at
corps headquarters to see that there
was not any intoxicating liquors or citi-
Zens' clothes. 1 guess there was every
thing in it that it started with. There
were two cans of pickles, one can of
sauerkraut, one of cidar apple sauce,
one of huckleberries. one OF onions,
four bags of sausage. one piece of dried
beef. one chicken. three balls of butter
and dried apples. Well.dCelia. James
has just been into my tent, and said
that he had written TO Mary Pratt and
wants me to write to You. / commenced
to write to Dover, but now ! will write
to you in particular Well, Celia, l
wish that every Union soldier in our
Union-loving sisters to think of them
while we are here exposed;to all kinds
of dangers and hardships. 1 cannot
describe to you withpen anything near
what l could tell yon III 1 were only
home for about 10 days. L do not know
what / would do if were like some of
the boys down hcreDGwhoq never write
letter or receive one. L have never
enjoyed better. health inoiall my life
than I have since I9enterad the army
We are here in front of Petersburg do
Ing picket duty we have very good
quarters. and there are four, of us in
one house. Our picket line is 800 yards
from the Johnnies. We kept firing on
the Johnnies until about three weeks
ago. when the Johnnies raised the white
flag, and wanted us to stop firing and
they would do the same. We told them
that we would. and have lived in peace
ever since. Our boys and the Johnnies
talk together and have good times. The
Johnnies say that they think this thing
is going to wind up in the course of
three or four months. They are desert
ing like everything. and everyone that
comes in looks worse and worse. One
came in last night who was almost
starved and his clothing was very
scanty. 1 don't know what the people
up North think about the condition of
the rebels. but we think down here that
they are in pretty close quarters if we
can believe one-half of their own
stories. / do hope that this Internal,
cruel war will come to an end before
Spring, but l do not want IL to end with
the recognition of the South
Since writing the above / have been
on picket "a hours. and on camp guard.
SO | guess that you will excuse me this
time for not sending ii before, but
when tell you all the news and what
has happened you will excuse me. On
Sunday last the rebels sent out a flag
of truce. and wanted to pass some
Peace Commissioners thru the line, and
on Monday there were three flags Of
truce. and on Tuesday they met fou.
times. and the fifth time Alexander
Stephens. Vice President of the South
ern Confederacy: Col. Hatch, Judge
Campbell and II, A. Hunter came thru
the lines. All the ladies in Petersburg
were down to see them start after
they had gotten in line The rebels
gave cheer after cheer. Well. Celia. ]
think we will be home In the course
of six or eight months at the least
Charles F. Hathaway, member George
A Custer Post. Chicago. Ill.