The Michigan in the Civil War Message Board

Letters from Virginia

"December the 6th,1861"

Dear Sophia, I am well and hope that you are the same. I thought that I would send you a paper. It has the picture of the grand review that I wrote to you about. It is a pretty picture but it aint nothing to look at to what the real moving thing itself is or was. But it is so you can git some idea how it looks. I wrote to you,the letter went out this morning but I thought that I would rite a few lines more to you and send you those verses and this paper all together. It is worth looking at I think. You must rite oftner and don't rite quite so short next time. I can't rite anymore for the paper is to small.
From Miron B. Evans to his most affectionate wife Sophia L. Evans, Oh, how I love her.God bless her.

March the 2nd 1862,Halls Hill,Virginia

Dear Mother and Father.

I now sit down to answer a letter that I got from Ann and to rite to you. I am well and tough but I can't say contented for I am continually thinking of you and my own family and sweet home.But Mother,I will try and content myself till I can return which I think that I can before long. This is the worst place that I was ever in for wickedness but I still keep in the right way as near as I can but then I know that I come far short. Hiram wrote that he'd rather hear of my being killed in battle than to hear of my deserting. You can tell him that he will never hear of my deserting but he may hear of my being shot.
We are under marching orders. We will move in less than 10 days.Anyhow I think we will go to Manasis. If I have got to fight the sooner it comes the sooner it will be over and if I fall by the enemies bullets, don't weep for me for you know it is in the cause of right and justice. And if I do fall in battle,Mother you can think of this.
Friends fondly charished have past on before.
Waiting they watch me approaching the shore.
Singing to cheer me though deaths chilly gloom.
Joyfully,joyfully haste to my home.
Brite will the morn of eternity dawn.
Death shal be banished his septar be gone.
Joyfully than shal I witness thy dome.
Joyfully,joyfully safely at home.

But I have great hopes of seeing you again for this I fervently pray and dear parents you must pray for me and I will pray for myself. I am at home every night in my dreams but tat is not real and I feel more homesick than ever. Tell William and the rest of the boys to rite and I will answer them. You can rite to the same place as before. If I am gone the letters will follow me.
I can't think of much this time for my mind is roaming. So I will say good by for this time.
From Miron B. Evans to his dear parents William and Lucretia Evans.
May god bless and protect them forever. Remember me.

Miron did make it home when his enlistment was up in 1864 but not before taking a minnie ball in the chest at Malvern Hill. In 6 weeks he was back in action with his regiment the 16th Michigan during all their engagements leading up to Mirons' final battle at Gettysburg and all it's fury on Little Round Top. He was sent to Park-Patterson Hospital in Baltimore suffering from his earlier wound and battle fatige until his enlistment was up. Returning home he was almost an invalid and died in 1879 at the age of 42.