Head Quarters 33^rd Wis. Vol. Infty.

Camp near Vicksburg Miss.

Febry 3^rd 1864

 

My Own Darling Wife—

                                    Yours of the 23^rd Jany. is just received I recd. yours of Jany 14^th last Thursday or Friday and intended to write you on Sunday as usual but about 10 o'clock an order came for us to strick tents immediately. Between one and two o'clock my Regt. was on the march and we are now in camp on Black River a short distance from the railroad from Vicksburg to Jackson. The 16^th Army Corps has come down from Memphis and it is expected that the 16^th and 17^th Corps will be on the march in a few days where to we do not / know. The report is that all the tents, camp equipage and baggage is to be left here, also all the sick and convalescents. Each man takes one rubber and one woollen blankets and as many days rations as he can carry. A very large waggon train with 20 days rations on board is to accompany the expedition. I presume I shall be classed with the convalescents and left here. I worked hard all last week trying to get my case before a General Court Martial so that I could have a trial. I was finally promised a hearing last Saturday. I collected all my evidence got my witnesses and walked two or three miles to where the Court Martial met and when / we got there I was informed that the case could not be taken up as Col. Moore had charged me with things he could not prove. Capt. Frank was his only witness and he knew nothing only what his wife had written to him or what he had heard some one say. To give you an idea of the character of the charges against me I will give you a specimen. He charged me with going to Milwaukee and purchasing a stock of goods, going to Madison on several different occasions, getting married, and visiting St. Paul Minnesota and then pretending that I was not able to return to my Regt on account of sickness. This is the way a sick soldier is used in our Regt. / instead of sympathy he gets damned for being sick. When I was told that I could not have a trial on Saturday and was told the reason I fully made up my mind to something desperate let the consequences be what they might. I determined to have either an an honorable or dishonorable discharge soon. I insisted on having the charges withdrawn or otherwise an opportunity to disprove them, and this morning they gave me a trial. I shall not know for two or three days what the decision of the court will be nor do I care. I have not time to write more now dear as the mail is just going out. I write again in a day or two my resignation is in and has got / as far as Div Headquarters It will get through sometime darling. Be as patient as possible my dear Annie I will not loose a moment in getting back to you.

           

Give my love to Mother and all at home when you write. Pray for me darling

                                               

I am ever

Your loving Husband

George

SOURCES