In camp 12 miles from Springfield Mo

and 20 miles from Wilsons creek of Lyons battle notable by for we are camped with the entire briggade on a nice spring river which affords plenty of water for cooking washing & bathing but all go below all camps for that purpose I went down to bathe near ½ mile & it run nothing but dirty soap suds so I went up & carried a little on shore & bathed & dressed up clean & now feel verry well I have been quite well all the time & stood the march better than most of the men or really any as I often carry their guns stay back cheer them up many would lay down & say they could not march any farther I encourage them take their guns & tell them come on then we have to hurry for a mile to catch up some drop out to gather grapes some in orchard / & dally along the road & then pretend to be sick to keep of off gard or other duty to be performed; of that that call E Sutton has played out on that I will put him on gard every night I told him yesterday I would do it I have threatened him 2 or 3 times he will drop down fast before we go in camp & then come up when all the tents are set & some one getting supper others do so to but they will quit now for they are afraid to do so now as they are afraid a gurilla will take them I have some verry fine fearless scouts among them are Irvin for leader Sam^l Moses James O & Austin Barnard thir brother in law Busert Ed barker J H Enlow & many others I am sure of a plenty of what the country has in it I & S & 2 or 3 others got a nice lot of chickens butter honey the verry night I got your letter so you see mind works on mind even here on the road. / near every thing is gone of fruit & poultry kind & there are many less year old hogs & 2 year olds pigs & hogs Oh A you know nothing of war & its train look at those pictures of death as Irvin has & study it & in it you may realize the facts of war & its trane many of the boys would kill a man as quick as they would a horse at home This country is full of weak springs some strong ones but when our Briggade comes along they dry up verry quick we were going to camp at 4 Springs a few nights ago & the Ioway 19^th Reg got in first & camped & when we came up all the springs were empty & they had a armed guard around it & was gitting water to cook with & would not let the our boys have any to drink & they had marched 15m in heat & dust some of them told me Nutty says he boys get your guns fix bayonetts & ram catridg & we will have water or blood 200 was in line in / in 5 minutes & marched down to near the spring & halted then Ma—rod walked forward & told the gard to leave & not take another drop until our boys had enough they scampered & let them have full controll while we stayed we marched 8 miles after that makeing 21 miles & it was verry hot at that & dusty

 

water bad the season is very dry here corn rather poor & verry little of it at that I cannot see how any one can live here this winter there is not a rooster left on the road to crow for day break yet I think many on the road are good union men & some are hypocrites all such are found out & wo to them whole beeves less skin & head comes in camp in quarters you seem to fear our Col but I assure you he is winning the entire confidence of the Reg he says boys you must do things ordrly but have plenty if the country has it in it dont break rank but the gard is not thick Irvin & Busick took him some nice sweet potatoes says he boys where do you get them Ask no questions Col they are for you. Oh give them to my man Ike give them to Ike the same night a verry nice pair of ¼ quarters of beef came in to our camp

 

how long we will stay here I do not know but male all your letters to Springfield Mo 

 

Moses & Irvin are both quite unwell to day but both better now than in the morning they eat some broth & crackers I took them they had eat some with their mess but it was not good as ours & they eat pretty harty & think they will be all right in a day or so I have written to Sarah & William to day & this makes 15 pages I have written to day the boys look 150 per cent better than they did last night & I think they will be all right in a day or so It is a busy place here with 4000 men & 1000 horses & mules on a small space of land

 

Amos if I have any money comes in so as to help William out you had best let him have it & some to improve with (IE) to buy timber with All is uncertainty when I will write again I may write to morrow to Rowell or some one but as you all see one another often you can tell them the news if any 

 

you do not know with what pleasure a letter is red by all that receive them & none more than I send my letters to Sarah to read as they will give her pleasure

Samuel is Corporal of the guard to day all officers are on for 24 hours & guards also only they are on 2 & off 4 hrs The gurilla warfare is about broke up here most of them are killed the dutch soldiers say they take no prisoners any more the State militia are verry effective many are mounted there are some prospect of a lively time at Springfield soon if the rebels attack I have this moment had orders to be ready to march at 6 oc in the morning so all our hopes of 3 or 4 days camp is gone & we will go with it I suppose to Springfield

 

I must close as I must write to some of the boys behave I will write Sarah when we stop again so good night

 

Dear Brother

O Barnard

SOURCES