Dauphine Island Ala.

March 15^th 1865

 

Dear Sister,

                        I think it nearly a week since my last. So as this is to me an eventful day, one that marks the day of the month I enlisted, one in which my thoughts dwell more than at other times upon home and the termination of my soldiering, I feel more like writing. Five months more and I will have fulfilled my contract with "Uncle Sam", will have served him three years. I think we will not close our service till about six months from now, still it is gratifying to think I have, if I live to Aug 15 next, served three full years. We all talk much now of the end of our soldiering, for six months will soon pass away. And it is difficult to say if we express more joy at the prospect of returning home than at the prospect of going home with peace resting upon our distracted country. If the war has closed when we end our service we shall feel that we have certainly done all we could towards putting down the Rebellion. It certainly bids fair at present, for the greatest success has of late crowned our endeavors.

 

            This evening finds me situated very much as when I wrote you last. The greatest change during the past week is one fitting us better for our intended spring campaign. We have turned over all our tents except a few to keep us comfortable during our stay here. So also all our baggage has been put in store. We are now quite ready to pull out on a moment's notice. Our transportation has been reduced to two teams which must carry all the baggage we take along.

 

            I suppose our first job is to take Mobile, and as there are many indications of a long march I hardly conceive where we shall move to from there. Troops are coming daily and already an Army has collected here much larger than any the Rebs can muster in the South-west. We are all anxious to move off up into Alabama and see a State we know so little about 

 

The only tent besides the dog-tent allowed to a Reg^t is one wedge or common tent. I leave my largest desk and best clothes (if there is any best in my ward-robe) behind, not knowing how long we are to be separated from them. Our Q.M.D now occupies a shelter made by boards & a paulin, in form like Mr. W'tus' odd shed. We are all to-gather except our servants who occupy a dog-tent close by. Our house consists of the Q.M. & Commissary Sergeants the Clerk, the Carpenter & myself. Our house is about as large as your kitchen, and withal as good a dwelling as any on the Island.

 

March 16, Evening. Orders have arrived for us to be in readiness to move at a moment's notice and I catch a few moments to write you before I am too busy to write. Probably this will be the last opportunity of writing I shall have previous to our march for Mobile, and undoubtedly circumstances will compel me to wait some time before I can write again. You will not of course be worried if you should not hear from me for a month, for experience must have taught you that a month's delay is not an unusual thing in the Army. To-morrow it will be a month since I had a letter from home, and as that was mailed Feb 2^nd a month & a half has elapsed since any word has come from you. If I should now be shut out from the mails for another month, a letter from home will be deemed a very precious gift. But if the letter when it does come brings news that you all are well I shall be very thankful indeed. Yet I will not ask your health & lives, as I ask for your eternal well-fare for that is the all-pervading prayer of my heart. It would certainly be very sad to hear ill health or death had visited my home, but it would be ten-fold sadder to hear any of you had struck out into direct opposition to religion. There is such a thing as considering death a victory though a sad affair.

 

            In a letter sent after our arrival here I sent thirty / dollars to pay Geo. W. Read a debt I owe did you get it?

 

            In your next give me Father's address, and the address of Nel. Riker. I will send in this five dollars which you will please pay Geo. W. Read on my insurance matter if you have not already paid it from the money I sent you. If you have paid it out of the 30 dollars you can keep the five for me, or use it if you want it.

 

            My health is fine and everything here goes on well For want of time I must close.

 

Much love to you all

                                               

Your dear brother

John /

 

Please drop the enclosed note to Father.

 

[remark]

 

Hooksett NH 8/19 89

I remember an incident at D Isle not mentioned in these letters & left out probably so folks at home might not worry about me.

 

            In my letters to them I put the best side out. I was turning over tents & the distance being short I concluded to ride on the tents in the wagon & not saddle a horse. The tents were rolled about the poles & lay length-wise in the wagon & rounded up the load there being no bows or stakes on. As we went across the field we went into a kind of shrub at the time unknown to us, which grows along the ground several feet, some 3 or 4 & then grows up into a little top about 2 ft high. The driver supposed the ground hid by but small bushes & when he struck the patch the wagon bounded as the wheels went over the roots like a man's leg lying along the ground. The result was I found it difficult to keep on the load & to save myself grabbed a tent which offered no support & off I went between the 2 wheels. I realized my danger & sprang quick enough not to be caught by the hind wheel.

 

The wagons were so heavy with a load their weight they made bad work to a man who chanced to fall in the way, as we learned by sad experience soon after when John Wright a driver was run over & died that night

 

Another narrow escape for which I feel thankful to the Great Provider to day.

                                                                                                                                   

JPD.

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