This letter was written by Augustus Cheny Perry (1839-1897) who enlisted as a private on 14 August 1862 at age 23 in Co. F, 5th Michigan Cavalry. He was wounded on 14 October 1864 during Sheridan’s Valley Campaign and hospitalized for several months but survived the war and mustered out of the regiment on 22 June 1865 at For Leavenworth, Kansas.
Augustus was the son of Oliver Perry (1816-1872) and Sophronia Harriman (1815-1898) of White River, Muskegon county, Michigan.
Augustus was married in 1865 to Francelia Celia Shepard (1844-1929), the daughter of Orrin W. Shepard (1818-1888) and Sarah Ann Deming (1820-1897) of Croton, Newaygo county, Michigan—to whom Augustus wrote this letter. Francelia’s older brother, Nelson W. Shepard (1842-1864) also enlisted in August 1862 but served with the 26th Michigan Infantry, Co. C. Nelson was taken prisoner at Ream’s Station on 25 August 1864 and died four months later at Salisbury, North Carolina.
Transcription
Washington D. C.
February 29th 1863
Dear Sir,
Have a few moments of leisure time, I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know how Co. F is getting along. We have had awful bad weather here for the past month and a great many are sick with bad colds and the typhoid fever. It is [ ] all through the regiment. Our regiment are out on the front on a raid. They’re after Old [J.E.B.] Stuart. The forces that there [is] with [us] is about 8 thousand strong. 1 This is the second time our regiment has been out. I did not go this time. I caught a bad cold and it settled on my lungs.
The first time we was out we brought in 12 prisoners and 50 horses. The have gone a great deal farther this time. I should have been glad if I could [have] went with them for they are bound to make the blood fly this time. The 6th Michigan and the 1st Michigan and our regiment took the lead while the Pennsylvania and the Vermont Regiments brought up the rear. They have been gone four days tonight. The last we heard from them, they had drove the Rebs across the Rappahannock. They was a thousand strong. After they crossed the bridge, they tried to burn [it] but didn’t make it out. Our troops repaired it and crossed in the morning. We haven’t heard from them. I hope I shall be well enough to go next time. It is awful lonesome here when the regiment is gone.
You must write and let me know how you are getting along with lumbering. I got a letter from White River the other day stating that wages were high. They said I could get big wages running logs this spring. Would you go? I can’t hardly think I shall. The 7th from Grand Rapids have just come in. 2 I went all through the regiment but I could not find Charton [?]. It can’t be that he is in the 7th.
You must write and let me know the general opinion of the North on the war and nigger question. The niggers are getting some saucy. I was downtown the other day and I came across one of the black pups. He was blowing about me whipping the South. I took the liberty to ask him what regiment belonged to him. He replied not any. He allowed that there were white men enough fighting for him. Damn him, if it hadn’t been right on the avenue, I would [have] sent him him hopping or into a gutter.
I must bring my letter to a close for I feel so miserable that I can’t write. Give my respects to Miss [Francelia] Shepard and Tink. Please excuse mistakes and haste. Write soon. Goodbye.
From A. C. Perry
To Orin Shepard
1 On 25 February 1863, Confederate cavalry under Bri. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, one of Stuart’s key subordinates, led a force of 400 troopers in a raid near Hartwood Church in Stafford County, 9 miles northwest of Fredericksburg. The federal cavalry was ineffective in pursuing Lee and managed to lose 150 prisoners from the division of Brig. Gen. William W. Averell. Hooker was furious and threatened to relieve Maj. Gen. George Stoneman under whom he had previously placed all of the Union Cavalry.
2 The 7th Michigan Cavalry was organized by Col. Mann in November 1862, most of the troopers coming from the Grand Rapids area. They arrived in Washington D. C. on 27 February 1863 and remained there about a month receiving additional training before marching to Fairfax Court House on 26 March 1863. At that time, they joined the 5th and 6th Michigan Cavalry and formed into the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, or Wolverine Brigade, under the command of Gen. Joseph T. Copeland.
Spared & Shared 22 