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By: Ray Kisonas - Monroe Evening News staff writer
The cold and hunger were constant as he battled the Rebels almost as hard as he fought the deep loneliness that accompanied him along the bloody fields of Maryland.
Royal L. Potter, corporal of Company F in the 24th Michigan Regiment, endured the horrors of the Civil War while longing for his wife and family, who tended the farm in Ash Township.
"My Dear Family," he wrote with smooth strokes between battles in October, 1862. "My health is first rate. We took our rest in the immediate vicinity of the terrible battlefield … where the 17th Michigan Regt. had their fight … we could see where cannon ball & small shot have struck the houses … yesterday I saw a lot of severed feet legs & hands that had been amputated and thrown out in a heap on the ground …"
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Despite the hardships and the unspeakable conditions he faced, Cpl. Potter continued to give instructions to his wife to make certain the homestead was cared for properly.
"I would like to have all the farm tools, wagon, sleighs, hay rack, plows, drags kept under shelter," he wrote.
The many letters Cpl. Potter wrote to his family have been kept intact at the Monroe County Historical Museum. But 143 years of time have taken their toll. Bright lights have begun to fade the ink. The creases in the folds have begun to tear.
They are kept between white sheets of paper and tucked into folders in hopes of preserving a piece of a soldier's life and, eventually, his death.
But to historians, the letters are not to be hidden; they are to be read and experienced by the public. Understanding the dread Civil War soldiers faced on a daily basis is vital to understanding history.
To preserve these valuable links to the past, the 19th century letters are coming face-to-face with 21st century technology. Backed by a $6,600 grant from the Monroe County Historical Society, about 200 Civil War era letters and about 250 slides of historical area images are being loaded onto a Monroe County Community College Web site.
"I've been wanting to do this for five or 10 years," said MCCC history professor Dr. James DeVries. "I'm just thrilled."
In addition to Cpl. Potter's letters, others in a vast collection will be included. Chris Kull, archivist with the historical museum, said letters included in the project will include those from William H. Eaton of 4th Michigan Infantry and correspondence from Chaucy Cole of the 7th Michigan Infantry. Also included will be a poem by Fred Knapp of the 6th United States Cavalry.
"I think it's wonderful," Ms. Kull said. "We're hoping it will spur interest in the museum. A lot of people will know where we are and who we are."
In the basement of the museum, freelance Web and graphics designer Tim Chorzempa places the faded documents onto a computer scanner that records the image. It takes a matter of minutes. Mr. Chorzempa adjusts the brightness of the document so it is easier to read.
"If you have a really faded document, there's not much you can do without jeopardizing the integrity of the document," Mr. Chorzempa said as he gingerly placed a letter into the scanner.
It will take Mr. Chorzempa about 100 hours over a four- to six-week period to complete the task. The letters and photographs from the slides will then be on the World Wide Web in high resolution.
Dr. DeVries said he first wanted to make the letters available on a Web site for a Civil War class. But he decided to make them available to anyone. It is important to view the original documents instead of the transcripts, he said.
"They offer authenticity," Dr. DeVries said. "It helps readers understand the struggles."
The Monroe County Historical Commission approved the archiving, as did Dr. David E. Nixon, president of the college.
Not only will history buffs be able to read the fragile letters in their original context without disturbing them, the project also is expected to increase interest in the museum. Links will be available at the site to both the college and the museum.
"We're just scratching the surface," Dr. DeVries said. "As a historian, this is really exciting."
Researchers and anyone interested in history soon will be able to read about Monroe County Civil War veterans like Cpl. Potter. They will better understand their days on American battlefields and the struggles they faced.
They will be able to learn how an Ash Township farmer became a soldier; how he began his letters by saying he was in good health, and how he complained about rust on his rifle and lice on his head.
Readers then will learn how Cpl. Potter became more and more despondent and how his loneliness grew over time. They will learn how he eventually became a prisoner in Virginia suffering from typhoid fever.
And they will read that Cpl. Potter knew the end was near. They might understand the sorrow that he felt when he wrote his last letter and said goodbye to his wife, mother and children.
Excerpts from Cpl. Royal L. Potter's letters
Camp Harbaugh near Sharpsburg, Md.
Autumn, 1862
"I counted 15 or 16 dead horses killed in this battle all in a place not as large as ½ of our front yard."
"I should dislike leaving the Army for people at home would call me a coward. But I fear there is no possible chance of getting me discharged."
"(Soldiers) broke into a house & robed the woman of all she had to eat & took all the turkey, chickens and the children crying at their loss."
"We can hear the booming of cannon all day in front of us …"
"I wish I could be at home."
"I do not get enough to eat."
"The men suffer a good deal with the cold. Mr. Hine of Monroe one of my tent mates wishes me to say to you that if any misfortune befalls me and does not to him that he will take care of me."
"My Dear Wife & Family,
I am a prisoner in this city (Richmond)…I am sick and hardly able to get about."
"Dear Wife Good-bye
Mother good-bye
Mary good-bye
Elmer good-bye
Martha good-bye
I am in a terrible place here … dying away from home is a terrible blow … my heart bleeds for you. Good-bye."
Jan. 11 1863
"I am sorry to inform you that your Husband is ded … Mr. Potter Dide on the 9th of January. We done all we could for him."
Yours in hast
Respectfully
I.W. Ross
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Posted by: biddly on Monday, February 21, 2005 - 08:31 PM
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