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Letter From Col. Willcox

Letter From Col. Willcox image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
November
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Dltroit, N'ov..2(V, IB ti. ïo tho fri'fii1. of lílcbtgan pi-soneri, cuulinatl ia th Sovitbern frites : From a letter just rcceived frnm Colonel Willuox - extracts from wliic-h, are herewith published, it appeuri tbat our brave süldiers who are now iiumwed iu Southern forts, Lospitals and duugeou, aro suffering for want of ucci.'&sarj cloth'm;. A list of the nanies ol tho bravo men is addcd. I have ippealed by letter of this date to the Guvernor of our Stato for the necessurj' clotbing tu relieve their wants ïhey have only the sunimer suit in whtck tlwy xcere lapiural on tha 21i o July lost - thread bare and tattered - to cover their nakednes. and ! protect them ftoni the cold of winter. A package will be mide up at tho Quartermaster-Uenerars office in hi city, to be f.rwarded to ibeir relief. The frioüda of the prisoners inay setid saeh artielcs as they inay wish to th:it office, and they will be sent to fortruss Mouroe, aud theuce to Carleston. K N Wiu.cox. C..;TLB Pl.VCIXKY, f mt.T.'N', S. C , ) OctubM 14, 16Ü1. E. X. Willoöx, I'-s' , Detroit ; Deau Büotiier : After being cjt off froin conimunication for a montli, I wa tuld yesterday there were letters for uie. Que from you, under tinte of August 23. I hope its followers will sooit find tlie'.i" v.-:iy, and close up the long gap of. sileout) - nearly two raonths. Your letter always lighteii the burdcn of our exile. Letters inay be sent by enclosing them, post paid, to the Commandixq üfficeu, Foktress Monroe, with aii inaide em velope addressed to me, are of'A'ijutant-General, C. S. A , Riobmond - Since I wrote last, Pcptember 10 uiy health has been guod and gtrcngtjt groWing, uutil tiow I am Ljuite recoverod. We have lost one mau, Xor.h Porter, who died at this castle, Oct. '2d, of typhoid fcver. There have beeu ui.iuy cases of diarrhoea, etc , but tlie health of the prisoners is generally good Our greatest need is chthing. The mou, particularly, rehuiré everything froja slioes to overcoats. Besides Captain With'tigton, l have yitu me hfty ot iny men, aud two of the 4li M'iclfigftó, %'nti a vcry ragged sot of Ohristians we are-, too, as you may suppsse, having had jjotbing but tlie light summer fat;guj dress of the battle day. Some of tho gallant fcllows are uut of their breeches, some barefooted, &c. If our co.ifinement is to continue, l know of no way to supply the meu, unless by making up a lot ia Michigan and sending them to Fortress Monroe, to be fonTardtid b,y flag of truce. 'fhere are three ofiicer aud sixty five men of tbe lst Miühigailt and a few of the 4th Michigati, Captain Withington, myself, and 50 men of my regiment and two of the 4th are here. The rest ars probably at New Orkans, or still in Hospital at Eichmond. We are totally ignorant, seeiug co papers from the North, but if we are not to be exchanged direetly, tha clothiug wU ba Ycry muoh needed. It should be all kinds of cotnmon wear, ïhere is no eertainty of my g'tnation here and no one knows what or wliere tomorrow may seo us. But t havo faith in Providenee, and trust in the magnapiisity of the high toued portiou of our iáoutheru eueuiics. The journey to Charleston was anything but agreeable, confincd as we wera from the ÍOth to tho i;Jt!, in the cari, escept one niglit at Weidon, crowdod, hot, aud almost destitute of refreshments aloug the way. In my reduced condition, I suilered little iess than Purgatory - Five da ys in the Charleston jail, and thcu we emerged into u new life, in every scnse, at this Castlo iu the harbjr of Charleston. The sea breeze, release from close confiuemeiit, etc, have brought me up as well as the o:ie hundred aud fifty who sbare my lot. With hcre and there an exception, diarrlioea is the ouly form of disease we have known. But ifc is cocsidered that the unhealthj' season ia pretty ïnush over, although 110 sign of frost yet. The offioers have ths privilego of the is]and, the men are restrioted tl tb,e Castle. Our quarters aro casemates. All aro bettor otf than they were at Richinoud, but grow more and more impatient for excharigo. All the gallant felluws bear thcmsejves nobly under their captivity My roominatos noware Co!. Coreoran. of Ñew York, OoIomcJ Woodruff and Lieutenant Coloncl Neff, of Kütituekj'. Aniong the thirty odd officcrs here, of cüurse I find same congenial spirits. Ou of my chicf yant2 ia süir.ething to read. Yoiing Ingersoll says he does not requiro any money to be sent by bis ful her. George C. Stewart, of Oapt. Luui' eompaiiy desires me to fond word t F. H. Bahl. K-q , that ho is here - " on his t-aps, well, an,d in good spirits." Wbere is the Regiment ? Send my best regards to Roberts and Wbittlcsey. I endose i list of offices-a and meu here. You will judge the best courso to pursuo in order to soud clothing. Vit1i U'vr 'o all, O. b. "WÏTLLCaXr

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus