Springfield Mo. Sept 23 25 1862

                                   

Kind friend I avale the present time to drop you afiew lines once more although this is my third time ritting to you and has not got any answer yet but I hope you will answer this I am glad to in form you that I am well and hope those fiew lines will find you all injoying the same blessing Mary Jane I dont now hardly how to right to you now as I have not had any word from you since I left there but I can tell you that we have got threw with our tramp it was avery hard march it might be called a force march they put us threw 28 miles a day after the too first it was so dusty we nearly choked to death especialy when we cood not get water but we have got in camp and have got plenty of water by carrying it one mile /

 

Sept the 26      Kind friend as I had to quit ritting last evening to get supper and now have got breakfast spred I will finish my leter they hant murch news yet they was one of our gards was shot last night by the Seces he was out garden a well and they think the man that lived there shot him. they shot his too front fingers so that the middle one was taken off and maby the other one will have to come off, it is on his right hand so the war is ended with him that is about the onely way the nintyeth forth regt will get killed off they have got the boys out garden the Seces property all a round the whole coutry a union man dont want any gard they say that their property is perfectly safe but the Seces all must have a standing gard all the time But I hope they will get over that be fore long but the man that was shot stood his ground until the corperal got there they was no runn to him I have not stood gard but once since I have bin in the serves / I am detaled for cook and are exempt from all military duty they are five cooks Isaac Windle is boss cook that is he is appointed but he dont boss murch T. J. Wade J. W. Enick T. Gentry is our asisting cooks you had beter believe it is got up about right and you would think so if you was here to take dinner with us I would put the big pot in the little one an cook the bes if you would come Mary Jane I want you to right and let me now how all the prety girls gets along for I am very murch consurned about their well fare Give my respects to them all after taken a full share to your self tell grand mother I would like to hear from her to hear how she get along but I think we will get back before long to see you all again now I must tell you about our force We are about 25 thousand strong here now and they say that they are 15 hundred Indians coming in here to help us they have got our fortifycations nearly mad the one that we are close by has got 5 / fiel pieces here in this fort and I dont now how many they have in the others but they are fixing up things as fas as they can they think we will have a chance to try our hand before long General Brown took a division from here last week and has gon to meet the rebbels What luck he will have is not nowen yet but I hope it hope he ma come of victorious We have but little chance to tell what is going on for we hant got a chance to get any paperers so I shall look for the news when you answer this tell Louisa and Emorree I send my respects to them and would like to see them and also to the boys too I think about them very often Good By

 

Direct your letter to Spring field M^o 94 regt. Co. C. Ill. Vol. in care of Capt Franklin

tell James I rote to him some time ago and got no answer yet But I hope he will soon

T. Johnston to his friend M. J. Tresson

 

[upside down margin] Right soon if you please Good By to all for this time

SOURCES