New Ulm Minnesota             

October 23^d 1862

 

Dear Father & Mother

                        I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well at present and I hope that these few lines may find you enjoying the same I understand from uncle georges folks that you have not heard from me since my enlistment I am very sorry to hear that for I have wrote to you several times and received no answer which made me feel very bad and I felt worse when I heard you was sick. Dear parrents do not weep for me for I am fighting in a good cause to protect the old stars and stripes and I trust it will not last long we left Grant County the 4^th of Se^p we got aboard of the war eagle (the name of the boat) in the morning at Dunleith and we had a long weary ride to lacrosse it rained all the time that we was on the river we got stuck 4 or 5 times on the way finely after one day and two nights we arived at our journeys end for that time we staid at lacrosse about two weeks we got our uniform and was mustered in to the regiment and then we received orders to go to cincinnati the orders was read one evening on dress parade we was to start the next morning and we was routed out the next morning before day we all got ready to start and noon came and no start yet and also night came but no go yet        turn over 

 

the next day our orders was countermanded and we was ordered to minnesota we was to start that afternoon well that time the mule started we got on the boat that night that being Saturday we rode untill Sunday night about ten oclock we arrived at St. Paul the next day about noon we arrived at fort Snelling there we staid one day and two nights and there our regiment was divided four Companies under Co^l Montgomery and the other six under Leu^t Co^l Nasmith our four companies came up the Minnesota river to St Peter there two of them remained two or three days and our company and one other was ordered to this place

 

Well father I just received your kind letter and and being as I had given you so many of the details I will go on I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well I feel like a new boy I thought you had forgoten me I had wrote so often and received no answer I am glad to hear that you all are doing well I hope it will continue I am sorry to hear of the sickness and deaths I supose old aunt sofa has gone to a better land she had so many trials and troubles here on earth you say father is bound to go to war I say for him to stay at home there is plenty to go with out him I will do his share and mine both so he had better stay at home and take care of mother and the children /

 

We have very good times up here now except some times the wind blows so hard we can not drill but we dont care for that last saturday morning the rumor came in that there was 1500 Indians comeing but that did not alarm us any but the citizens I thought would go up for there being so many killed before but father they ought to be killed there is nothing but Dutch and the very meanest at that we have not had an attact yet and no likelyhood of any this winter you say I have a new brother and you want a name for it I think George Henry Newton that is a very good name I think You wanted to know something about my getting married that is the calculation now if evry I get back from the army and her name is Miss Jane Rawson but nevertheless I would be glad to know how you got that news Well my hand is getting tired so I will stop for Jap wants to write a few lines so no more at present Give my love to all the children and friends and keep a share for your selves

                                                           

Good By Write soon

 

Direct your letter to New ulm Minnesota

Brown County Co I 25^th W^is Vo^l

 

From J. L. Lanterman

To A Lanterman & C M Lanterman

From your dear affectionate son J L Lanterman /

 

Dear Uncle & Aunt

                                    As John has got through and is likely to have a blank sheet left I thought maybe you would like a word or two from your "soldier" nephew. Well to begin with we are away up here in Minnesota in the little town of New Ulm noted for "Sour Crout dutch" and fleas, and they said when we started for here they said for "Injuns" also but "narry" red skin have we seen once if I may be allowed to say so. hope we never will for if we do there will be somebody hurt or a mighty big run and I think I can run just about as fast as the best of them. We have been here about four weeks and our orders are to stay here all winter rather a chilly order that but as we are "Sojer boys" I guess we wont say much about for Gen. Pope don't seem to pay any attention to what we say no more than if we had never spoken. We live in hopes that this wicked war will be ended before many generations roll away if it does not we may have to fight some and that I do not like very well for them fellows down south they handle guns mighty careless and when they shoot point it right square at a fellow just as though they meant to kill him, and I dont like such fun at all would you well I guess I have talked nonsense enough for once and will try to write you a better letter before a great while just received a letter from home the folks all well. Write soon my love to all. Your "Sojer" Nephew Jasper N. Cabanis

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