My Dear Wife
The Letters of Pvt. Charles H. Prentiss 1862-1865
by
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Dear Wife
Here you find me at Chattanooga, I arrived here yesterday morning at 9 A.M. I had a pleast trip. I found the country compleatly filled with troops & business lively. I have finally got the position that I have long looked for & am well pleased so far. Have not commenced worked yet. But I shall tomorrow I think I have found a place to learn something There is some 15 or 16 to work in the office plainty of paper & tools &c. Have a middleing good boarding place. But not as good as I had at McMinnville. I think that I shall like Capt E.W. Merrill first rate & the boys that are in the office I like first rate. You must not expect a very long letter from me this time. I have not got settled yet, all are strangers to me. The 13 Mich. is out here somewhere so I have been told. I shall look around after a while & see if I cant find some acquaintances. I have got my picture taken while at McMinnville. Mr. Mabbs wanted me to sit with him. I did so, when I saw his picture I thought that you may want one so I got him to sit with me. Cost $1.25. The 4th of this month I sent $20. to you by Capt. Duffee to Kall. I told him to keep it untill you sent an order for it so you go & get it. I thought that I would keep $20. for my own use. There is no telling when I shall get pay again, Also in case that I should be sick, I have sold envelops & pictures enough to buy me a watch. Paid $15. for it, I can’t tell you much about my extra pay. But I think my wages will amount to about $25.00 per month. That I will be better than a slap a crost the mouth, I am glad that I dont have to go to Nashville. The small pox is rageing there very bad. About 50 new cases evry day. soon as I get regulated & a little time to sketch the Lookout mountain. It is a very prominent bump & a very sightly place I expect that Lieut. T.W. Clark will sent you his picture for me. I made him a draft of a fort that he built. I hope you will write as soon as you get this, I don’t expect to get any mail untill I get answer from this. It will all go to the regiment, I want to write a letter to Capt. Hubbard today to let him know where to send my mail, Direct your mail to me
Mr. Charles H. Prentiss
Draughtsman
Head Quarters Topl. Engr. Office
Army of the Cumb, Chattanooga Tenn
Care of Capt Merrill
If you direct my mail in this stile I will get. I am well, I dont know as I ever felt any better. I hope this will find you all well & enjoying yourselves. And I also hop you will stick to the good cause that you have undertaken. Do your duty if others do not. Let your light shine & you shall liberally rewarded, I still remain your ever
Dear Husband Charlie Millie
Topographic Engineer Office Head
Quarters, Chattanooga Feb 11th 1864
Dear Wife
I suppose it about time for me to write another letter at least you will expect one. News is rather dull here at preasent. I am very much pleased with my new place. Cant tell how long I shall stay. I hope that I can stay as long as the war will last. The only trouble that I have is, my eyes are very week for this kind of business, I may have to quit work on that acct. I can hardly see the rules on this paper this evening, I dont get any chance to work day time. We have to work 7 hours a day & I have sundays to my self. I would like if I could send you a specimen of my work such as maping & lettering. {The following is printed in a very small hand} This is the kind of lettering that I have to do. which requires a very stead hand. It is also very tiresome. I have got a very good set of tools & have a good chance to learn. I find that I dont know much about drawing when I come to see others work. We have some splended workman & penman, Well Dear Wife I hardly know what to make a letter out of. But I must cunger up something, I went up to head quarters last evening & hurd one of the best brass band play that I ever hurd, It almost made me cry. I found the Mich. first Engineer & Machanic, but found no acquaintainces. I hurd that the 13th Mich had gone home on a furlough so I could not see any of them. When I get a little chance to go about, I will have something to tell you. If It is pleasent next sunday I intend to go upon Look Out mountain & see Virginia & 6 other states at one sight, We have a good glass, We have evrything in the surveying line, There is a number of caves that I intend to explore. There is one thing that I am badly afflicted with. That is boils. I have 6 to sit on, some will soon hatch I hope. Also some on my hands, on the back of my right hand & two on my rong rist. Here is a lage white page before me. Now what shall I put on it. I cant half write when there is so my around me, some singing, some telling stories. Henry Bush is singing the Soard of Bunker Hill & playing the guitarh & makeing all the nois they can, & some riting my table &c. put it all togeather I think I wount write more to night. Good night. Sunday Morning Feb. 13th, Now I will make an effort to finnish my letter. For the past week it has been very dry & dusty, This morning we are a haveing a very pleasent rain & the weather is very warm. I have been confined to the office very close this week & have not been able to see much of the country about here yet. We have to work 7 hours a day & after hours are not long enough to go about & see much. However I took a short walk yesterday noon to a rebel fort situated on a heigh knobb, commanding the 10-a-c river & ferry. The cenery is handsome & pleasent. Can see many miles away, Can see a large number of forts as far off as the eye can reach, tents without number & soldiers the same, It beats all how many soldiers there is hear & it is a small part of the army. Thousands are moveing to Knoxville where the rebs are consentrating & intend to make a brake into East 10-a-c. We are ready for them. From this same bluff or knobb I could see I should think a thousand dead horses & mules; all exposed to the sun, laying on the river flat, If it stops raining to day I intend to take a walk on another heigh point which will be much more sightly than the one yesterday, There is one hundred cars of subsistance comes into Chattanooga evry day, It is surprising to see what it takes to supply 150 to 200 thousand men, all the supplies of the Knoxville army comes through this place. There is a number of caves that I intend to visit as soon as I get an oppertunity, Also coal mines & copper mines, The worst undertaking is to climb Look Out Mountain. I want to start early in the morning of some day when the atmusphere is clear. Then I will take a glass that belongs to the office. Then I will tell you what they are doing in Richmond Va. &c. The heighth of this just 1460 ft above the Tenn. River. Apples sells for 8c cents a peace, Butter 50c lb. Eggs 35c doz / Paper 75c quior, Common Wool hats $6 to $9. Boots $15 a pr. Honey $2 lb. & evry thing els the same propotion. I have an idea that it cost something to live hear. News papers 15c apeice. I can get all the paper I want to use while I stay here. I like my new place first rate except the liveing. That is tuff. Ill not mind that if I can keep well as I am now. My time is half out the 5th of March. But I have no idea that I shall have to stay my three years out. I am makeing about $30 a month now. I think that will do very well for a privite soldier. I get $13 per month as a private $12 per month as a Draughsman & $12 per month for rations. It cost $7 per month to eat. I am also allowed $3.50 per month for clothing. on the whole I get $40.50 & board & cloth myself. I have told all the news that I can think of. I have not so good place to write as had In McMinnville. I want to be alone when I write. So you will excuse this white paper.
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About the Book
Charles Holbrook Prentiss (1830-1924), my father’s great uncle by marriage, wrote many letters home while serving in the 19th Michigan Volunteer Infantry between 1862 and 1865. These letters came to me from my father and I have transcribed them to make them more accessible. They provide a unique and interesting view of events during the war. Charlie wrote his letters to entertain and inform the readers at home. They make you think you are eavesdropping on a veteran’s recollections.
Nancy Jordan, a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is retired in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband, Douglas, after having lived in a number of places around the country. In addition to raising four daughters, she has been a librarian, school teacher, homemaker, youth leader, genealogist, and transcriber and now enjoys being a grandmother. The transcribing was a labor of love as well as an interesting experience, and she is happy to make the results available to others.
About the Author
My father's great uncle by marriage, Charles H. Prentiss, wrote many letters home while serving in the 19th Michigan Volunteer Infantry between 1862 and 1865. This correspondence came to me from my father and I have transcribed them to make them more accessible. They provide a unique and interesting view of events during the war. Charlie wrote his letters to entertain and inform the readers at home. They make you think you are eavesdropping on a veteran’s recollections.
Nancy Jordan, a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is retired in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband, Douglas, after having lived in a number of places around the country. In addition to raising four daughters, she was a school teacher, homemaker, genealogist, and transcriber. The transcribing was a labor of love as well as an interesting experience, and she is happy to make the results available to others.