Transcribed copy of one letter
"In the field South of Marietta, July 7th, 1864
Dear Parents,
Before this will reach you, I presume you will have heard of our 4th of July celebration, and I presume are somewhat anxious to hear from us. I have not heard from Ira in about a month and I begin to be anxious about him. How he is getting along. I cannot tell, but I am doing about as well as usual and still unharmed by rebel balls. The right wing of our regiment had a pretty warm time on the 4th and lost quite heavily, 12 privates and 1 lieut. killed and wounded, and last but not least our gallant Col. Stoughton was severely wounded and had his right leg amputated. It is a great loss to our regiment as well as to the whole brigade which he commanded and his loss is felt by all. The loss in our Co is one wounded (Alvin Farnham).
If you see Edwin White’s name among the killed, don’t let it alarm you. It is not Brother E. but a son of drummer (?) White up in the woods, and belonged to Co. F. Henry Ethridge had a finger shot off.
I can not now give you much of the particulars of the engagement but may at some future time. After the rebels left their marks they opened on us with cannon and we lay on the outside of their works under a pretty warm fire until dark when we were relieved and went back to the rear line. This was a 4th of July that I shall not forget as long as I live, and as we lay behind the works I could not but think of the people at home and of the contrasted situations. Those at home enjoying themselves in banqueting and festivities while we were dealing out missiles (?) of destruction. I wish I could have shared my 4th of July cake with you. It was simply a rebel “corn dodger” which they left in the trenches.
Next morning the rebels had left our front and we pulled out in ------------ of them, and have found them strongly entrenched again with their flanks resting on the Ohallahoochie river. We are lying in the rear and last night had orders to put up our tents with the prospect of staying in camp a week. We can see Atlanta from a hill nearby, but still it is out of our reach. Whether we will get there or not while our time of enlistment lasts is still a query in my mind although it is only 10 miles. That looks like a short journey for a month and a half’s travel, but there is a good many snags in the way.
Tell Mrs. Philips that we have not heard anything from Frank since the other recruits came. I am sorry to learn that Wesley ------- (?) is wounded but hope it is not a serious wound.
Well! our remaining time of service begins to look short – only 1 month and a half unless as some say, we should have to stay until the 11th of Sept the time that the last Co’s time is out. I hardly think we will have to stay as long as that.
But I must close. Write often. I don’t see but your letters in which you complain of a dearth of news are good enough.
Goodbye from your affectionate son, Aaron.
(P.S) July 8th. Since writing the above I have seen one of the 19th Mich who says Ira is all right. We have just received orders to be ready to move but do not know where. Yours, Aaron"
