The following letters were written by Aaron “Jehiel” Rayner (1841-1919) of Co. B, 7th Michigan Infantry. The first letter includes a part written by Frederick R. Searl (1843-1874) of the same company.

Jehiel was the son of John Raynor (1804-1879) and Emily Meech (1817-1873) of Mason, Ingham county, Michigan. He enlisted in the 7th Michigan on 22 August 1861 and was discharged at Petersburg, Virginia, on 22 August 1864 after three years service. His 1919 obituary states that Jehiel saw “much active service, being engaged in a number of important battles such as Fair Oaks, Antietam, Gettysburg, and numerous smaller engagements. While in the service he had many close calls, but was never seriously wounded, although his horse was killed under him at Spotsylvania.” [Not sure why an infantryman would have been riding a horse unless he was on a special detail.]

Frederick R. Searl was the son of Elisha Randal Searl (1809-1879) and Martha Hurd (1815-1862) of Mason, Ingham county, Michigan. He enlisted with Jehiel in August 1862 in Co. B, 7th Michigan and was wounded on 31 May 1862 in the Battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia. The would was so severe that his right arm had to be amputated, necessitating his discharge for disability on 18 July 1862. He died twelve years later.

The letters were addressed to Jehiel’s older brother, William Henry Rayner (1836-1905) of Mason, Ingham county, Michigan.

To read another letter written from Camp Benton by Roger Noble of the 7th Michigan Infantry written on 28 October 1861, see Roger Noble Letter-October 28, 1861. MSU Libraries.

Letter 1

This letter was written from Camp Benton on the Maryland side of the Upper Potomac. The 7th Michigan was brigaded with several Massachusetts regiments known as Lander’s Brigade. It was penned just two weeks prior to the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. Fortuitously, the 7th Michigan did not participate in this federal disaster because it was deemed “unfair to put them into battle with the poor arms they had.” These “poor arms” were converted Belgian flintlocks that were very unreliable and inaccurate. Before the end of the year they were provided with Springfield rifled muskets.

Camp Benton
October 7, 1861

Dear Brother,

I have been quite unwell but I am getting a little better. I think I have seen a great curiosity in my journey. I have seen almost everything. I cannot tell you much about what is a going on here but I will tell a little about it. Last week there was twelve cannons all firing at once down by the river. That was a great sight for me. We expect to be called out every minute.

The guards shot twice the other night. The [ ] wouldn’t give the countersign so they shot but [did not get] him. There is more sick in our company than in the rest of the regiment.

Dear brother, I would like to come home and see you all but as it is, I can’t come.

Our water [is] just like crick water. That is one thing why there is so many sick here.

Mother, I wish you would send me a few newspapers. Give my best respects to all of my friends, — Jehiel Rayner

Friend William

I have an opportunity to write to you. There is no news here only that we expect to join the Michigan Brigade at Munson’s Hill. The rebels throw shells over this. The nearest they came to [us] is a half mile. I am glad that you are Orderly Sergeant for I think that you will like it. The rest of our boys are out on Battalion Drill. Our battery shelled a rebel mill across the river. The officers correspond from here to Washington with sky rockets. They have the same countersign in every brigade and when a guard deserts his post, there is three sky rockets thrown up and the countersign is changed.

I expect that you have got through seeding but the farmers haven’t begun out here yet. It is very warm here. There hasn’t been but little rain out here. The railroad is guarded all the way from the Maryland line to Washington. The night that we stayed in Washington there was fourteen hundred stayed in one room.

Write to me and let me know how all the folks get along. Give my respects to all enquiring friends. — F. R. Searl

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Letter 2

Sunday, April 13th 1862

Friend William.

I have been to work on the road all day and don’t feel like writing. General Gorman’s Brigade of four regiments are within seven hundred yards of the rebels’ breastworks without anything to eat or any artillery to defend them so I think that we [are] justifiable for working on Sunday. Berdan’s First Regiment of Sharpshooters was drove into camp by three thousand rebels. A battle at Yorktown will [be] fought before this reaches you, I expect. The rebels has got five hundred large cannons there. It is reported that Jeff Davis is there & Johns[t]on. We expect to march on Yorktown tomorrow [but] we may not in a week. We expect that there will be one-fourth of a million of men engaged in the fight.

Perhaps you don’t know where we are but we [are] near Yorktown. We left Fortress [Monroe] a week ago day before yesterday. The battle will be fought on the same ground where Lord Cornwallis surrendered in 1776. [should be 1781]

I have seen Charley Rhodes & Alva Welles & Frank Feits & Ambrose Irish & John Wright & Burdy Hill. Write whether you hear from me or not for it is almost impossible for to write. We sleep outdoors all the time. From your friend, — Fred [R. Searl]

To William Rayner

[In a different hand]

April 13th

Dear Brother,

I am well at present and hope this letter will find you the same. I must tell you that I have to work on the road today and just got through. We are a goin’ to have a battle here in a day or two and a big one too….

Well, this may be the last time that I can write to you. Give my best respects to all. Tell them all to write to me. — Jehiel Rayner

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Letter 3

Camp near Culpeper [Va.]
September 30, 1863

Dear Brother,

I now take the opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. I must say that I hain’t had a letter from you in some time. I would like to know why you don’t write to me oftener. Now, Will, I wish you would try to write to me once a month if you please.

I can’t think of much to write to you this time but can say that the Rebels are a coming into our lines every day. they come one and two at a time. They was two come over last night and they give is some very important news. I must say that I like to see them come over. Why? Because when one comes over, that is one less to fight.

The report is this morning that they was seven hundred came over last night upon the right. I hope it is so. I guess Old Lee will lose the whole of his army if he don’t look out. Them that come over last night said that they had to keep double pickets on every night so as to keep them from running away. I guess that is so.

Mr. Wm. H. Rayner, I will send you in this letter twenty dollars. I wish you would write as soon as you get it so as to let me know if you get it or not. If you get it, I will send you twenty more right off. We got pay the other day and I have got forty dollars that I want to send home to you. This is all at present. Give my best respects to all. This is from A. J. Rayner

Will, I want you to give H. H. Beers three dollars for me that I owe him. I think that is all that I owe him. You ask him how much I owe him and then pay him and then let me know how much it is and then I will pay. Will, I want you to let me know how much I owe you and then I will send it home to you. You must know what I mean—the money that I borrowed from you. — Jehiel Rayner