March the 4^th 1863

 

Dear Mother

                        I wrote to you last night but i will write you a little more to night as i hant mutch to do. well mother they is eighteen of us boys in this room and i am hapy to tell you we are all well and in good spirits it would do you good to hear the boys talking and laughing a bout the home gards we got a paper to day and the president is going to draft six hundred thousand more men the soldiers dont call it a draft they call it conscripten it dont excuse lawers or preachers doctors or any person only by their age. the boys says the coperheads has to come out at last ow how the boys is joking a bout them it dose them so mutch good. well Mother i understand stand they is a good many of the folks a round their stil wants peace i tell you Mother it would make your blood run cold to hear the soldiers speak their sentiments a bout the dimicrats of the north and i cant blame them i back them up all i can they want peace well if we would stop it now they would be a southern confedercy and i loock at it in this way it is the best men in the country that is in the field if they agree to give it up then i will be willing to stop but on no other conditions. i would like if some of them very men would ove been on the battle field of stones river as it is called gest only two days i think they would alter their opinion it is the / soldier that ought to complain while we lay in the field them eight days a good part of us had not even our over coats with nor blankets and it rained most all the time and was very cold and at night we mostly had to ly flat on the ground to keep from being shot and we are the men that ought to complain if any but no they wasent a man said peace and then to hear the men at home wanting peace in their dry house and plenty to eat and because they have a dolar of tax to pay they will cry for peace i think hanging is to good for sutch men. well mother the poor soldiers has been traveling for 18 months and fighting and all hour long marches and no one can tell what the soldiers has to stand a many a long weary miles our boys used to sing a way on the road but it makes my hart ake to think that them very poor felows is now lying under the ground on the batle field of stones river and one of them in in freeport that is my pardner he was a nice boy i thought as mutch of him as a brother i never shal forget him. the weather here to day is very cold and snowing. i sent them trees this morning by express David reed will be apt to take them out to you you may think i am discontented but i ant i gust cant help but tell you some things a bout the men at home if they new the feeling of the soldiers they would soon dry up at home the boys is stil talking a bout the home gards. i herd to night that Bob Dimit is at home and he diserted he will be apt to be taking back and his head shaved and a letter D branded on his face and drumed out of the survice. i saw a case of that kind three days a go it was a hard sight i tell you but a man diserves it if not worse this is all for this time.

                                                                       

Abram Kipp   

 

Eliza Bann   

 

write soon

SOURCES