Michigan in the Civil War
Wells family
The papers of the Wells family of Fabius, Mich., include originals and typescripts of thirty-two letters (1861-1864) written by Benjamin Franklin Wells to his wife while he was serving in Company A, 11th Michigan Infantry, in the Army of the Cumberland. He tells of mutiny at Camp Tilden, of a trip on a river steamer down the flooded Ohio to Nashville, of forced marches chasing guerrilla bands, of skirmishes, and of foraging parties. He describes both the beauty and the devastation of the countryside. There are frequent criticisms of officers.