Camp Benton St Louis Missouri Ja 21 1862

 

my dear Father it is with the greatest of pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you and let you know that I am prety well at present and enjoy my self as well as could be expected I have had a very bad cold for a week or to but I am now getting better I have had the headache several time since I have benn here but with the exception of that I have benn perfectly well Our Lieutenant Palmer is a coming home as a recruiting officer for the thirdieth regiment Pa i received your letter this evening and was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you got your money Pa you said you would pay me interest on that money that I sent i dont want no interest on it I want you to keep it self and I hope I can send you some more the times are prety dul here at present wee are still under marcing orders their has benn no guard detailed for over a week and the boys have not much to do there is onley about half of our Company fit for duty I have not done any thing since Christmas onley wait on the sick Herbert Hilton has benn quite sick but is now a geting better the rest of the boy air prety well Benton has had the mumps but he is now geting better Pa I often think of the many hapy times that I have had at home a going to Meetting and that is one of the greatest blessings that I am deprived of you can hardly tell when Sunday comes for / their is no Meetting [paper torn] not benn untill night before last for over a month Pa how I wish I could be home about a week or to and go to prairmeeting to Mr Smith's Pa it makes me think of home the most when I am sick for I always have the best of care and here I have not I read my Bible twice a day and I try to keep out of bad company as you requested me to do Pa I think that the war will be over in the spring and then I can go to class meeting you and Mother I wish that you would get a bottle of black ink for that last letter that you wrote to me I could not hardly read it dont you think that I have improved some in my writing for the last month or to I suppose I have written at lest 30 letters since I have benn in the Army I think that wee will soon leave thees Barracks and go to Cario and then wee will soon be in a fight but then I know in Hoom I put my trust one of the Lieutenant told our Major that he was a going to get him a revolver the next pay day and the Major told him if he did not get it untill then that he would not need it Pa I should like to know how you get a long with your work I dont think that all the letters that you write to me come to me for I dont get more than one a week and soemtimes one in to weeks Pa I want you to write to me once in to weeks I am afraid of sickness more that I am of getting killed in Battle the small pox is broke out in the Iow 2 sickness prevails all ove the camp there has benn 33 died in our Reg give my best respectes to all inquiring Friends                     

From your affectinoate

Son      Weed   Nims   to my Father Amisa Nims

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