Bivouac 7th Michigan Cavalry
			On Platte River Nebraska
				July 7th 1865
     Dear Nell.
		I received your short. although wel
come note of June 23rd yesterday afternoon. and have
thought perhaps I had best write a few lines. although
in my letter of July 4th I should not write before
I reached Fort Kearney.. We are now camped near
the bank of the Platte river some 10 or 12 miles below
Fort Kearney We reached the Platte about 1'o'clock
P.M. to.day some three miles below. here. Our march
from our encampment of the 4th has been the hardest
we have yet seen on this march. We left our camp there
at [2?] A.M. of the 5th and marched 28 miles that day.
the longest marched we have yet made yesterday we
made a march of 22. miles. and to day we have marched
about 20 or more. The 5th and today were very
hot days. but yesterday was qutie a comfortable day
for marching as it was cool. cloudy and we had one
or two little showers. of rain.. yet not enough to make
it uncomfortable riding or lay the dust..

     I do not like Nebraska as well as I did
Kansas. The land is poorer. more level. more scantily
watered and timbered and has the appearance of suffering
badly from drouth.. We followed the Little Blue. to
Buffalo Omaha Station where we camped last night
and after leaving it found no water until we reached
here. The grass is thin and very short and the soil
cracked in many places. From Omaha Station we found
the country very level and monotonous until we came
within sight of the Platte. when we struck a low range
of hills which have been described by some one who
has visited it before. These hills run parallell with the
course of the river. at this point distant about
3½ miles from the stream. leaving a beautiful flat
which covered with good grass makes a most beauti
ful. meadow. and camping ground with the exception
of scarcity of firewood. and the days of “Buffalo Chips”
are over in this country.. The only game that we see along
our route are rabbits and gophers and some of the boys
have gay times chasing them.. Rattlesnakes are said
to be quite plenty. and one or two very narrow escapes
are reported. and as many large snakes. have been killed
but I have not see one of the varmints yet

     A sad accident occurred in Co “A” on the 4th
One of the new recruits had just come in from picket
and while putting his gun into his tent carelessly discharged
it. the ball passing through his side inflicting a fatal wound
from the effects of which he died the next day and
was buried near Liberty Farm. This was the second
death from accidents occurring since we left Leavenworth..
     We have seen the graves of several persons who were
massacred by the Indians quite recently. and were in-
formed a few days ago. that a war party of 900 of
the “Copper colored” scamps were [homing?] near the
route. Today we received a ccommunication from
the commandant at Fort Kearney stating that the
Pawnee Indians were now moving south from the
Platte to the Republican on a hunt. and they being
friendly to the whites he desired that we would treat
them accordingly. should we meet them.. I would
like to meet a few, friendly, wild Indians before leaving this
country. I mean to procure a nice pony. before we return
to Leavenworth again..
     I wrote you on your birthday from
Grasshopper Falls congratulating you. but from what
you say I judge that my congratulations were
not needed.


     I am glad to hear of Rene's safe return
home and shall write him soon. When you write
him give him my address and ask him to write
without waiting for me. I would give worlds
to meet him once more. and my next greatest
pleasure will be to hear from him..
     Do not consider my words of the 4th [illegible in original]
because I have written this. I shall not write any
oftener than I can be sure of an answer. I am
also losing the knack of writing long answers
to short letters. although I can not make my
letters quite so short as yours
		My love to all.
					Edwin R Havens

[Written in pencil upside down on bottom of Scan 4]

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