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In his letter to Sarah written October 10, 1864, Taylor stated, “I now know what my work is[,] I am agoine to take care of the docters horses.” The doctor of whom Taylor was speaking was Elijah A. Woodward of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. On April 1, 1864, Dr. Woodward was commissioned assistant surgeon of the Thirty-Sixth. On January 6, 1865, after the death of surgeon Clarkson Miller, Woodward was promoted to fill the position of surgeon of the Thirty-Sixth. Eventually Dr. Woodward used his influence to secure the position of hospital nurse for Taylor. From that point on, Taylor’s primary military duties involved service to the doctor and to wounded soldiers. In addition to doing his assigned tasks, Taylor supplemented his soldier’s pay with money made by cooking and washing clothes for fellow soldiers of his company. Of special interest in this section of Taylor’s correspondence were references to the presidential election of 1864; the adjustment of soldiers to duty; and the danger, death, and plight of Rebel soldiers as the tide of war continued to turn against them. Taylor’s letter written November 6 was one of his most descriptive and philosophical letters of the war. The most significant event for Taylor and the Thirty-Sixth during this time period was the October 27 Battle of Hatcher’s Run, in which the ThirtySixth Wisconsin Volunteers captured two enemy colors and nearly 400 prisoners. The Thirty-Sixth was recognized for its role in the battle, and Dr. Woodward received honorable mention for services rendered. 127 c h a p t e r 5 Detailed to the Doctor October 10 to November 27, 1864  no. 19 padge 1 received no. 12 In camp near Petersburg Va. Oct. the 10th 1864 My Dear Wife, I received your kind letter yesterday and was glad to hear that you was a getting along so well. My health is vary good yet and I am as contented as anybody can be in the same plais. I have bin a cooking for our gang but I shell do it no more for I find it is most to much work for me their was 5 in our company and then their was 3 Sutlars that wanted to com into our mes and they staid with ous a few days and then they got a cook for themself you see it made a good deal of work for me for they wood bring in all kinds of can fruit and it is a good deal of work to cook it to have it good over such stoves as we have in the armey, so I told the boys that I cood not do the cooking alone and they must try and help me so they took hold of the cooking and they made kareloues work of it now I can tell you and then they will call on me to com and cook the can fruit they will not tuch it. Well we are a having a vary nice time of it we take evrything easy and have a easey time in genral. Well Sis the docter has got hear but he has not sed anything about having any letters for me but he may have som he got hear nite before last and has bin on the go evry since and I have not had any chance to talk with him but it dos not make much di¤rance wheather he has got any letters or not for I have got one from you that was writen about the time he left home. You said that Chipman had not sed a word about paying you for the plowing in case he dos not pay you after you ask him for it you gust get sombody to go and masure the land, and put it into the hands of Lawyer Reaves1 or somones elce to corlect for I have written to him about it and told him to be shure and pay you for you wood want it rite away and in case he wants to be mean I want you to see if you cannot be as mean and a little meanor so he will know that you are a mach for him evry time. Gust pay him in his own corn and give good intrest in the Bargon, and let me know as soon as you can after you ask him for your pay what he says and...

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