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Soldier's letters during the Civil War

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Title: Archive of 13 letters written by Elias B. Van Marter while serving in the First Michigan Light Artillery during the Civil War, plus a few later letters and related items
Author: Van Marter, Elias B.
Description: Most letters 4 pages, on conjugate lettersheets; envelopes present but not matched to the letters.Significant archive of letters from a soldier in the First Michigan Light Artillery, the Loomis Battery, to his brothers and sisters. The Light Artillery was a mounted unit, with speed of action their forte. The letters provide a vivid picture of action, and the boredom and suffering of camp life. In the first letter, dated Oct. 26, 1862, he tells that “we have been chasing these d---d Rebels for the last 6 weeks like thunder but we have not had a fight yet and I don’t know as we ever will…" The Rebel army was getting behind us so we had to get out of there or they would cut off our provisions, and I suppose you know that is the main thing, the eating part"…” On February 16, 1863, writing from Murfreesboro, “The troops are fortifying this place good and strong I guess old Rosecrans don’t calculate to give up this place very easy. We are having as warm weather here as you have up there in May. Well John as far as the women is concerned in this country there is but a darned few except Black ones and what white ones there is is dam-d nasty bitches I would have to ge hard up to get into bed with one of them for they look like the Devil’s ass peak….” On March 16th, also from Murfreesboro, “When we was here one year ago, then Murfreesboro was a nice town. But look at it now. What a change. Those nice picket fences are torn down & burnt up. The churches are taken for army uses (such as Hospitals and store houses), a man can go into town any day & see dead horses & mules laying in the streets. Besides all that now we will go into the Army Hospitals and see what we find there. In the 1st place we will see men stretched out at full length on cots made of the softest oak plank that can be had, for a bed. He may be sick of a fever or he may be wounded (no matter which) he is almost sure to die for want of good care…" I have seen the limbs of men cut off & thrown up in a pile large enough to make several cords to pile them up as you would cord wood"…” A very revealing series of letters from an intelligent and observant, if not terribly well educated, soldier.
Heading: (Civil War)Place Published: Various places
Publisher:
Date Published: 1862-1864 & later