The following letter was written by Wilson John Baldwin (1845-1881), the orphaned son of John G. Baldwin (1819-1855) and Maria Cronkhite (1820-1857) of Flint, Wayne county, Michigan. Wilson wrote the letter to his aunt who probably raised him after his mother’s death in 1857.

Wilson enlisted at the age of 17 as a private in Co. G, 8th Michigan Infantry on 27 August 1862. This regiment had the distinction of having served in both the Eastern and the Western Theaters of the war, marching and fighting in practically all of the Southern States from the Mississippi river to the Atlantic Ocean. He was with his regiment on 19 August 1864 at the Second Battle of Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern) when he was severely wounded in the arm which required amputation to save his life. He was discharged for his wounds on 8 June 1865.

After the war he lived in Detroit where he worked as a clerk.

Transcription

Near Fredericksburg, Va.
February 6th 1863

Dear Aunt,

I take this opportunity to answer your letter which I received last night. I expect that we will leave here in a few days. Troops have been a moving today. We are to go to Fortress Monroe and then probably in some southern expedition. Some say to North Carolina and others to Charleston or to Florida or to the Gulf but we do not know. Most of the soldiers wish to go. I think that I had rather go South for it is too cold to soldier it here and we are getting short of wood. We do not get half enough to keep us warm. You had not better send a box for it would be quite uncertain.

William Parker is sick. He has the fever and Warren is driving his team until he gets well. Mark has got a letter from you last night. I also got three papers.

I was out on picket day before yesterday. It was snapping cold when we went out. When we came off, it begun to snow. It snowed all day. It turned to rain then and rained all night.

When we go to Fortress Monroe we shall march to Aquia Landing and then take a boat. Capt. [Horatio] Belcher, our captain, got back from the State of New York where he has been for the last six weeks. Brush Fenton, the Colonel’s son, has got back. He is our First Lieutenant. He was wounded at Bull Run. Our Second Lieutenant is John J. Phillips. Harrison Williams is made Orderly Sergeant of Co. A.

The rebels seem to know our doings about as well as we do. The other day, a few days after Hooker was made commander, they asked who our General was. We told them Burnsides but they said it wasn’t. That it was Joe Hooker.

— Pvt. Wilson Baldin, Co. G, 8th Michigan Infantry, 6 February 1863

The rebels seem to know our doings about as well as we do. The other day, a few days after Hooker was made commander, they asked who our General was. We told them Burnsides but they said it wasn’t. That it was Joe Hooker.

They have been building a bakery for this brigade. It is not quite done yet. I suppose that Darwin is going to school and enjoying himself finely. You must write how Jenny gets along and about James Parsons—in what regiment and company. I shall write as soon as we reach our destination. I shall write for the box as soon as I see fit. It will come quite acceptable—especially butter.

— Willson Baldwin