Wednesday the 6^th May 1863. At Home

 

            Beloved Brothers. Once more I will try to entertain you a few minutes with a few thoughts and incidents, but little out of the usual routine of business is transpireing as to business generally, farmers are succeeding verry well with their spring work as the weather has been excellent, not enough rain to stop ploughing only during the rain while falling, no frost since I was with you. Fruit prospects never better so far as blooms are concerned, though it is not out of danger yet. We shall not be disappointed if we have some cold when the weather clears off again yesterday was chilly and drizzly, to day cloudy and cold north wind, so much so that I will not work out in it. mercury 4 deg above freezeing point this morning

 

Our health continues about as good as common and the friends generally although there is some little complaint we were at Suttons Sunday last. he B. had been complaining the past week with something like the mumps though but slightly. little Wake was quite sober, he haveing the mumps lightly. Brother W^ms Frank has been unwell a few days with sore throat & some fever, but seems to be a getting better. W^ms attorney has wrote to him requesting him to be at Dayton by the 15^th inst. as they wish more of his testimony as rebutting evidence as they have required Davis to close his testimony by the 10^th inst. he has written to them to learn if his depposition will not do as well. We have had quite sad news from some of our friends in Ohio. Marys sister Nancy Macy was taken with chill & severe pain in the bowells and died verry suddenly. / Also her brother Hirams wife had been confined and was taken much the same way and died suddenly on the day that N. Macy was buried Hiram wrote that there had been a great deal of sickness in that part of the country the past year; there had been 16 burials in the Monroe Cemetery (near Fenners) within the last year. So we can learn that fatallity makes inroads amongst people wherever situated, at home or abroad, in camp or on the battle field. no doubt you will have the news of what is progressing on the Rappahannock in Virginia ere this reaches you. what news we have had seems to be favorable towards our success, from Hooker & Stoneman; and indeed there seems to be more effective measures going on generally, to renovate and apply the decrees of law, and orders generally / from the accounts in the papers there seems to bands of guerrellas through Mo that make their raids quite successful as they have broke up the mail between Rolla and Springfield I should not be disappointed if there would have to be quite a large force kept in Mo to keep them desperadoes in check. Irvin your letter written at St Louis was received Saturday by Martha and she will get one mailed at Rolla on the 3^d to day as I sent it to her this morning. Samuel I have nothing special for you. W^m went last thursday and ploughed your orchard. hope that you have heard from anny lately & all right. I hope you will have a chance to come home as Irvin did but as fate will have it as it some times seems it is best to submit as cheerfuly as possible. anxiously waiting & hopeing there will be revelations made this spring that will determine the destinies of this distracted land I now close with continued Brotherly love and friendly regards for all of the friendly boys of the 94^th & particularly some of the best acquainted of Co. I. Francis Barnard

to O. J. & S Barnard

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