Michigan in the Civil War

Browse by Name: Litchfield, DeForest

Preston, Jacob.

The papers of this Grass Lake, Mich., resident include letters of his son, Theodore Preston, and his cousin, DeForest Litchfield.Ten letters (1861-1862) are written by Theodore Preston to members of his family. He writes of the trip from Lansing to Detroit and their activities in Detroit; burial of two soldiers from the 1st Michigan Infantry; the controversy over the type of guns to be used; a Washington's birthday celebration; the march from Washington to Virginia; and his illness in the hospital at Alexandria where he died September 2, 1862. He was a corporal in Company B, 2nd U. S. Sharpshooters.

Three letters are written by DeForest Litchfield to Edward Preston (1862) with some mention of his activities and much gossip about home affairs. He was in Company F, 9th Pennsylvania Infantry. The July 25, 1862 letter of Theodore Preston states that Litchfield was listed as missing in action in the Seven Days battles before Richmond.