Camp Mountain Grove Mo

March 12^th 1863

           

Dear Sarah

                                    Again I am under life time obligations to you for one of your kind letters in which you breathe not a word of complaint or discontent Oh what a jewel such a wife is & would others had as good in all respects The one I got was wrote on the 28 Feb & 1 of March in which you say you mailed one the day before that I have not got yet I may though I got 4 letters on the 10 at one time but when they arrived I had such a violent sick headache that I could only glance over part of them I also had another ulcer on my tooth but not near so bad as before but bad as was comfortable here you know I could bear more when your hand could administer to my wants my letters were from Sarah W. AB FB & Ad & tell the little (well I wont say) if she does not write longer letters I wont answer only evry 2 of them

 

You will no doubt get most of my letters & they are not few but then I want to talk to you so I keep on writing as though I got an answer to each your clippings were gladly received & have been read by many I wrote to AB last night rather hasty & confusedly as the mail left this morning for Rolla to day I thought I would write you as we will likely leave here soon as a heavy scout was sent out to day to find forage & camping ground we will go east again as we are ordered to go no farther south at present as some of the Generals are afraid we will do something The real cause is there is no forage south & the roads to bad to haul provision to us so we want or they want us to get nearer to it where we will stop time will tell & then I will write to Francis & get him to give it to you I will also write to Sarah W & if you see her give her my warmest thanks for her verry kind letter Such letters are cheering to a soldier to know there women that have strong minds & looks dangers in the face to cheer me on in a good cause /

 

As you & her both do Oh were she but happy & content as you what a change there would be in that household But I fear I will have to agree to that before it can be I must now see what you want to know before I go much farther; some 14 of our Co has been out to see a cave about 2 miles from camp they seem to have been well paid for their trouble Irvin & the Capt went & a few others 3 days ago & were perhaps the first human beings ever in the cave I have not seen it yet & as it is verry difficult of access I may not as they have to crall about 100 feet before they get in & that in the water as there is a large spring runs out from it I am verry sorry it is so muddy that you can not go out much but spring is comeing soon & then you will make the straw fly I wish we had some of your surplus eggs for our camp they are verry scarce here & chickens will always be extinct where we go butter there are none scarcely But we must be content on our fare & it is as fair as could be expected To day I feel quite well again & hope still to feel so Lesley Minier came to camp yesterday 3 of the men he recruited came in before but they went to other Companies 

 

Samuel says if I will buy Vandervords place he will swap with me how would you like a change of neighbors I should like it verry well but I fear it would be rather costly for me but pleasant no doubt but I will wait until I see how this war will leave us but if in the mean time they Vandervords still want to sell I think I would rather invest in land there than let my money lay in bank land can not be counterfeited but may depreciate verry much I believe I would give him Two Thousand Dollars for his place & pay when he gave possession if he does not leave this season as I suppose he will not If they say any thing about selling you may ask how that would do in a careless way (you buy it) say one year of my wages will pay most of it I suppose the corn can not be hauled now until after corn planting then Charley will have time to do something at it There is no hurry about it if it is covered & dry But tel him haul the wood as soon as the roads will do to haul on we have cold frosty nights freezing the ground evry night for the past 3 or 4 now it looks like rain again but on the whole the weather is as good as we could expect at this time of year just think March 12 near plow time & perhaps some wheat sown with you /

 

You will not call me extravagant if I fill 2 sheets to you as I forgot to say some things to Amos he spoke of buying 2 lots of Whitmer near our warehouse if he thinks it will add to the value in proportion I think it a good investment perhaps I cant help rather looking for him down after they take in their new boarder I wish them success & happiness & a (girl) boarder It will be a long time before we will have to enlarge our house for the boys Well Sarah I will not write you any more when I fast if you quit eating on that account for I did not suffer by it only a little hungry & not any more than I have been often at home But just eat a potato for me evry day if you have them to spare & have seed left Sow a little wheat & I want to have 4 or 500 of them willow cuttings stuck out around the pond takeing up all the ground that is liable to be wet or in a circle I am not particular about the ground put out plenty perhaps A or William attend to it & Charley can cultivate them in beans /

 

If they think it best to break out a corner of the meadow north of the pond up to the fence for potatoes do so I think it would be a good idea & perhaps they would not rot on sod break thin at first (or subsoil) & then break again before planting in any case put the ground in order before planting & then I will plant it in willow clear down to the pond if I ever get home to do it & I look forward with a good eal of assurance & hope to that time A. Busick is laying verry low with congestion of the lungs I think he must die I will try to have his body sent home if he does as it seems like wish of his friends likely his brother will come with it I do not know whether we can let him leave If he comes I will try to have him call & see you though they are not verry interesting company but you can learn from us more particulars than by letter They think a great amount of me as servant The Capt will have to bear the blame for conceiving his death as he would have got a discharge if he would have sent him his description roll to Springfield but he refused on acct that he thought his brother was feigning sick & (I think he was) but Arthur ought to have had a discharge as he has been unfit for duty most of the time It surely would be a verry unpleasant thing to be accused with causing the death of a man by neglect or wilfully I do not know that Mann is entire to blame or his brother I loaned Irvin my pen which caus is the difference in writing I suppose I shall hear of you getting a fish hook & line & general tackel & take a chair & umbrella & sit up at the pond some fine evening & catch a mess of the finny tribe or at least feed them some as they will need it say a little meat or scraps of any kind will do them Irvin & Saml & Moulton seem quite well In fact almost all the boys seem well or in fair health after the

 

The next page I will fill for you as the rest all is you are due 2 letters for this

 

If Tenny is with foal keep her regularly as she has been mostly out of door & feed her to much work her some if needed & if not let her run As for fan or Kit I guess she may as well run over to work though I will write to Amos about it if I breed her you will want Nel to drive until them blacks are 2 years old If that Mercer cow is in good order feed her well on until she gets fat & sell her as soon as you can do without her best not turn her out much as she will not eat corn if you do get it ground if necessary It is a lovely day & the boys are taking a game of ball at Uncle Sams expens If such a thing should happen that you send me your likeness have it in a neat small case not so coars as some but not to costly may be you can send by Packard if not by mail It will come dont you think me foolish or verry different than at home So good by my love to all my friends & my kind wishes to Frank to be a good & dutiful girl So loving Sarah good by O Barnard

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