Francis M. Guernsey to Frances E. Doty, 28 February 1864
                                                                                                Canton. Miss.
                                                                                         Feby 28th 1864
 
My Dear Fannie.
                                    I have got just about ten seconds in which to drop you a few lines. it is the first opportunity I have had of sending a letter since we left Vicksburg. we have had a long and tedious campagne and are not through yet. we accomplished all that heart could wish in our last expedition so that Genl Sherman congratulated us by a Gen order, saying that our campagne was second in importance to none except the seige of Vicksburg. we have marched nearley four hundred miles without tents exposed to all maner of weather and are now on very short rations onley half a crackere per day to the man, beside what we can confiscate. but still under all these trying circumstances, we hear / no complaint is heard from the men. they all understand the reason why we are in such circumstances and are willing to endure all that is necessary for the good of our cause. We now expect to start on an other expedition which Genl Sherman informed us is a very important one, but where we are going is a mistery yet. we may be on the march in ten minuets and perhaps not in an hour. we had no very heavey engagement between Vicksburg and Meridean but were skirmishing heaviley with the enemy nearley the whole of the way. we captured one beautiful brass field piece and some four or five hundred prisoners. it was no very seldom thing to find a dead Rebel lying beside the road generally shot through the head which proved that our boys know how to use their rifles.
 
            My health has been good most of the time and I am feeling first rate now. if / it only remains as good through the next campagne I shall be very thankfull.
 
            But Fannie dear I must now close as we have now got to march. I shall write again the first opportunity. I would give anything to hear from you or to know that you were all well. I suppose if we ever get back to Vicksburge I shall find letters there from you. so now good by accept much love and may the good Father have you in his kind keeping is the prayer of
                                                            Your afect
                                                                                    Frank M.G.
 
P. S. Please give my best regards to your people and excuse this poorly written sheet. I have been in such a hurry
1849
DATABASE CONTENT
(1849)DL0301.06355Letters1864-02-28

Letter From First Lieutenant Frank M. Guernsey, 32nd Wisconsin Infantry, Canton, Mississippi, February 28, 1864, to Fannie


Tags: Artillery, Death (Military), Fighting, Food, High Morale, Marching, Pride, Prisoners of War, Siege of Vicksburg, Weather, William T. Sherman

People - Records: 2

  • (820) [writer] ~ Guernsey, Francis M.
  • (822) [recipient] ~ Doty, Frances Eugenia ~ Guernsey, Frances Eugenia

Places - Records: 1

  • (789) [origination] ~ Canton, Madison County, Mississippi

Show in Map

SOURCES

Francis M. Guernsey to Frances E. Doty, 28 February 1864, DL0301.063, Nau Collection