East Saginaw Mich

Feby 14 1864

 

My Dear Son

            Your last letter came duly to hand. I have not written you for some time, for the reason that Henry & your Mother have both done so. I suppose you have long before this received a furlough & hope you will avail yourself of it to come home for 30 days & then if your health is not perfectly good—if not entirely recovered from that diarrhoea, I think we can get it extended until you are.

 

—recruiting is going on finely in Mich—& this state will nearly fill her quota under all calls without a draft. If you come home I think you can get some men with what help we can give you.

 

            There seems to be a good deal of activity of late in the / the army in all quarters—and I am quite confident, the rebels will get the worst of it on nearly all hands.

 

—The can not hold out for more than one year the way things are now going on. The north seems to be getting more and more in earnest—and settling down to fight it out

—to conquor a lasting peace.

 

The weather is moderate and pleasant

 

            I do not much expect you will get this letter—that you will be home when this reaches the Army—

 

            What part did you have in the late move

 

            I see Kilpatricks division was in the front

 

            The 16 Regt Veterans are at Saginaw City /

 

Heber Woodruff, Frank Keeler and many others are here, but go away in a few days—

 

Tom Sailors & his Cavalry boys are here also to stay a few days—

 

            I expect an early & vigorous campaign will be made by all companys. Every means & soldier will be put to good use. Great effort is to be made no doubt to crush out the Rebellion next summer.

 

—I hope you will come home & get well in time to go back & help

 

Call on Mr Driggs as you come through Washington & thank him for what he has done & tried to do for you. We are all well / Your Mother weighs 170^lbs

 

            Driggs wrote me last week he had procured an order for you to be sent home on recruiting service & it had gone forward to the Regt—I hope you will avail yourself of it—unless you know of the best of reasons why you should not do so—

 

            It seems like a spring morning—I am of the opinion we shall not have much more severe weather this winter.

 

            February is now half gone How is the winter & weather with you—

 

            Take as good care of yourself & health as possible

 

                        from your father with much love

 

                        D W C Gage

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