The following letters were written by Judson Lloyd Austin (1836-1924, the son of Isaac G. Austin (1812-1882) and Susan Ann Van Winkle (1812-1867) of Allegan county, Michigan. Judson wrote the letters to his wife, Sarah Elizabeth (Colburn) Austin (1843-1908).

Judson volunteered as a private in Co. B, 19th Michigan Infantry on 13 August 1862 and mustered out of the service on 26 May 1865. Enlisting at the same time and serving in the same company was his younger brother, Pasqua L. Austin (1839-1863) who did not survive the war. Pasqua was killed at Thompson’s Station, Tennessee on 4 March 1863.

The 19th Michigan was organized at Dowagiac and left for Cincinnati in mid-September 1862. After duty at Covington, they made the overland trip to Nicholasville by mid-November and remained there until moving on to Danville, Kentucky.

Letter 1

[Dowagiac, Michigan]
September 5th 1862

Dear wife,

I improve this opportunity to let you know how we are getting along. We are well. at present. May these few lines find you the same. There has one man gone to his long home out of this regiment without hearing the sound of a cannon it was the one that had the chill when you was here. He died the day you left. We are going to be mustered in this afternoon at four o’clock. I shall come home then if I can get a chance. Our paymaster is also here so we shall get our pay as soon as we are mustered. You must not look for me until you see me coming.

The news is very exciting here. Yesterday the papers stated that our forces had been driven back within seven miles of Washington. If that is the case, we shall not stay here long. I hope it is not so but I feel afraid it is too true. The next thing I expect to hear the orders to march. Then every man that is able to go will start at the word. If I do not come home, I will write as soon as I find out how it is. Maybe I will get home before you get this. If I do, so much the better. The whole regiment drilled together yesterday & today it is something like work you may as well think. Two men out of our company fainted away in the ground & was carried off the ground. I don’t know how the weather is there but it is war, enough here to roast eggs.

The men that went on furlough the other day have all got back but one. He has lost one of his family—a little girl—and the rest of them are sick. We think it is doubtful whether he comes back just now or not. Our Lieutenant has just come. The war news is better today. It is bad enough yet. We shall have to fight, our captain says before many days. I suppose he knows just about as much about it as I do. There is no doubt in my mind but what we shall have to fight soon enough. But I guess we will have something to do it with fists. They say our arms are here now but we have not seen one of them. We must have them to see how many there is who knows how to load and shoot before we go into battle. For my part, I think I can do that part well enough now. The command would be the only thing that would bother me. I think that I could shoot a secesh just as well as I could a porcy hog. I can fetch me one of them every time or used to with my old gun. I guess I have written enough for this time. I will wait a little and see what is going on.

There is lots of talk among he soldiers today about the furlough. The most of them think they will have one at any rate. I don’t know how it will come out yet. I feel in hopes we all will have one. The Colonel has sent two men to the Governor of this state to see if he would consent to give all the soldiers that had not been home a chance to go. They have not got back yet so we know just as much about it as we did before.

It is four o’clock and the mustering officer is not here yet/ I don’t know what it means any more than you. do. I am inclined to think the old chap wants to keep us waiting here until it is too late for us to go home. If that is the case & we find it out to be a fact, I guess there will be some kind of a row kicked up among some of us so we will get a chance to go home. As a general thing we soldiers don’t think much of these big men. Our big men are the cause of all this trouble or have been & seem yet to be by the way things work. They don’t seem to care anymore about a soldier’s life than we do of a mosquitoes. They have got the thing to going & all they want us just to have us boys fight it out on our own expense. If we do not fight it out, who will? Somebody has got it to do. We all feel assured of that fact. If it is not whipped out, what will?

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Letter 2

Nicholasville, Ky.
Co. B, 19th Michigan Infantry
December 1st 1862

Nicholasville Ky

Dear Wife,

I am on guard today & am in a hurry. I received your letter dated November 16th. I was glad to hear you was all well. May these few lines find you the same. I am well except my throat is getting sore again. I have been sucking camphor gum all day. Pack is pretty well at present. Elder & Tom is grunting with a cold. Their throats are sore too. Norm has gone to be examined over to see if he can get his discharge. You spoke about the box I sent for. I was not disappointed very much when I saw & read the letter that you did not want to send it for fear we would not get it. Elder says I will send home for a box I and Ben & God damn them if they don’t send it. There will (be) young hell raised. I think there is plenty of that here now.

You said Mr. Watson Brown started a box. The Boys here have had a letter telling them about their starting one for Kalamazoo. They look for it about the middle of the week. I told you in a letter the other day about tent No 9 getting a box. The regiment right across the street from ours got three boxes one week ago tonight. Capt. Lincoln’s company have had boxes since we have been here.

I cant tell you how long we will stay here any more than you do but the only thing we hear is we will winter here. The officer of the guard told me today that we would end our war business here in Nicholasville. I hope we will. You wanted me to send me a measure of my foot. I dont think there is any use in that. If any of you think you can send me a good pair of boots, you can get no. 8 or 9 for I had rather have them too large than to small. You say if I want some socks, I must say so & you will knit me some. I want some, but by the time you could knit them & get them here, the war might be over. I don’t know as I deserve any for losing or being so careless with the ones I had, but then I don’t know as I could help it. The game here is if a man loses anything, he must make it good the first chance he gets. I don’t approve of this plan, but don’t know but I will have to come to it yet.

You can direct to Nicholasville just the same as I told you but be careful & put the no. of the reg & letter of the company on. It don’t make any difference about the division. You can direct your letters the same if you want to. It makes no difference where you direct if you only put the company and regiment on, it will come.

The drum beats & I must stop. Sam Hewett wants you to give Mack the note or line that you find in this letter he writes to him & does not get any answer. He is out of money & wants a pair of boots the same as I do. Goodbye for this time. Your most affectionate husband, — J. L. Austin