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Description
Benjamin Van Raalte wrote to his father, Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte, that his company marched seven days before they arrived at this place. The company is located near the Green River on which the other side, Conferate troups are massed. Under the direction of Colonel Morgan, these troups are expected to attack the Union troups. Due to heavy rain, some things in his knapsack got wet such as the pictures of his family. With all the rain came the mud. He had to pitch his tent in the mud but manages to stay dry. He had a better sleep than if he were sleeping on the "old lumpy bed in his room." Ben never complains about the conditions under which he is now living.
Date
12-22-1862
City
Mumfordsville, Kentucky
Source
The original documents are held in the Holland Museum.
Rights
This digitized material is intended for personal research/study only. The original documents may not be reproduced for commercial use in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Holland Museum.
Recommended Citation
Van Raalte, Benjamin; Jalving, Clarence; and Kennedy, Nella, "Benjamin Van Raalte Wrote to His father, Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte, That His Company Marched Seven Days Before They Arrived at This Place." (1862). Van Raalte Papers: 1860-1869. 148.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1860s/148
Notes
In Dutch; translation by Clarence Jalving. Transcription and retranslation by Nella Kennedy, February, 2007. She added that the translation does not reflect the misspellings and lack of punctuation in Ben's letter.
Description of the document and reference to the Holland Museum by Dr. Elton J. Bruins.
About the collection:
Elton J. Bruins, long-time professor in the Department of Religion at Hope College, spent years collecting documents by and about Albertus C. Van Raalte, founder of Holland, Michigan and early patron of Hope College. Documents were gathered from dozens of public and private collections, making a nearly exhaustive collection of Van Raalte's writings and reflections. It is these documents that make up the "Van Raalte Papers."
Digitizing the Van Raalte papers was supported by the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. The project was done in partnership with Heritage Hall at Calvin University, which also digitized its Van Raalte collections.