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Private M.L. Calk enlisted in Company K of the Twenty-Third Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861 and served to at least 1863. He wrote several letters to his family, eight of which survive and are on file at the University of Houston Library. Please visit http://info.lib.uh.edu/sca/collections/faids/html/calk.html for more information.
The M.L. Calk collection consists of eight handwritten letters, dating from December 9, 1861 through May 8, 1863, he wrote while he served with the 23rd Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Four of the letters are addressed to his mother, W.E. Calk, and four are addressed to his sister, Emma A. Calk.
The University of Houston Library intends to fully publish the full text of all eight letters on their web site, and until that occurs, has graciously allowed me to publish the following extracts from two of the letters.
As with PVT DuBose, PVT Calk's spelling, punctuation and capitalization is rather unique.
I find these ectracts from two of letters of particular interest because they shed light upon two episodes during which the 23rd Alabama suffered many of its casualties. The first describes the wretched camp conditions the regiment endured in the late winter and early spring of 1863. Several soldiers from the 23rd died during this time and are buried in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The second describes the 23rd's first significant fight and as PVT Calk puts it "lost half the Regiment" as killed, wounded, or captured.
1863 Camp Chas Vicksburg Miss Dear Mother It is with pleasure I seat my Self to let you know that I am well at the present and hope these few lines may find you and the children all well I have no news of interest to write at this time We have a very wet and mudy time of it here now it rained as hard here last night as ever I ever heard it rain Well we were all drifted out of our tents |
May the 8 1863 Camp Near Vicksburg. Dear Sister I seat my self to let you know that I am as well as usual hoping when this little message come to hand it may find you enjoying the Same good blessings of life I have no news of importance to write I reckon you have heard of the fight the Ala 23 has been long hunting and at last we found it and I tell you it was a hot one I Saw many fall and heard many crys & grons of the dying and wounded but the Lord was good and merciful to me even a ball did not touch my clothes though they were flying around me and many fell on every Side |