Letter No 5

 

Q.M. Office 29th Regt Wis. Vols.

Camp Randall Madison Wis.

Oct. 22nd 1862.

 

Dear Sister Martha & Home,

Your letter No 3 dated Oct. 13th and mailed the 17th is at hand to-day and though it is late the taps have sounded and I should go to bed still I cannot refrain from answering yours now. And first if I have neglected to tell you before let me say, that I am enlisted for three years or during the war just as I wish to be for if the war is not to end I do not wish to cease aiding in putting down the Rebels. The bit of news about Jas Davis' going to New York to study for the ministry was new and I was glad to know it. I am glad you intend visiting Hardwick people and a very pleasant time to you. Give my love to all the folks.

 

I was very glad Father had decided to send me a pistol and I shall look now with anxious eyes for it every day. How much pride—honest pride, I shall take in exhibiting it & carrying the best shooting pistol in the Regt and of my Father's make. I shall think more of it than I would of a couple rows of revolvers around me. It may be the means of saving my life sometime too, for I shall expect it will reach beyond revolver range. That little bag of Yellow Top will come in play no doubt though I presume I shall find some of it around for it grows / very plenty in this State. As I pulled the Yellow Top out of the envelope & smelt of it to find out what it was Oh! it smelt just like the mountain air of home and I could almost breathe from it the atmosphere of Vt. You know how the stores in a shoe shop, grocery store, paint shop, drug store &c each have their peculiar fragrance so that with shut eyes you can tell when you enter any of them, so this Yellow Top bore the stamp of Vt upon it. I think I will gather some herbs here and carry with me for I know most of their qualities. Very great quantities of thorough worth grow in this State. 

 

Since I last wrote I have been a little unwell, not so but what I have been on duty all the while, but I speak of it and notice it more because I do not understand the illness as I understand myself when I have a cold or a foul stomach. It operates thus. I first seemed to loose my appetite & relish for food and still felt well as usual, then, in a day or two, felt at times a little sick at my stomach and finally had a bad headache & felt weak all over. I spoke to the Doctor and he gave me some castor oil and since have improved so now, except a little this eve have felt nice. This eve I see a little of this sick to the stomach feeling and I am agoing to look out. It is different from what I ever had before and I fear a little it is tempting me into the Typhoid / fever. Since I wrote one of the soldiers has died with the Typhoid fever and another has gone home to die with it I guess. 

 

The great trouble with all the boys so far is this they run along half sick a long while before the doctor or anything particular is done for them. I think I am on good footing now but I am shy of this sick stomach feeling and no appetite feeling. The Doctors here do not seem to know how to treat Typhoid fever for it generally proves fatal. I had rather have the nursing of Aunt Eliza than seven eights of the doctors in that fever. I have made up my mind if I should be sick here I would be moved to some place in the city and have Aunt Eliza take care of me. When I last wrote it appeared as though we would start in about a week but the election is the first Tues in Nov. and they want the Regt to vote there and I think we shall stay until after election. I hope that letter will not stop Father

from sending the pistol. I am glad you sent me Wm Redfield's address for I think the chances of a better place are very good through him & Chs Lyman. 

 

Uncle Charles was here yesterday on business and to-day the man who lives across the road from Uncle Samuel's is here so I have late news from A— They are all well. Uncle Samuel and some of the rest are intending to come out to see me in a day or two. Uncles' boys so far as he has heard are well / Silas is with the 5th Wis Regt which is under McClellan. Uncle Chs did not stop but a few hours as business called him away.

 

The other day Howard Harvey stepped into the office. I knew him. He says he lives in Prescott this State where Wm Howes & Diskus Cadwell also live He says his father is visiting him and will return East in a few days. One of the Companies of the 30th is from Prescott. I also have come across Fred Cross who is a private in one of the this Prescott Co The next door to us is the Hospital of the 30th and he was standing guard there when I came across him. He is as natural as ever. Said Bob Cadwell was visiting his father lately & that Bob is head waiter in one of the 1st hotels in Cincinnati. If we go East I shall see a great many old friends from home. Since I wrote (I think) our guns have come. They are the latest Springfield pattern and the best ever given to his troops so we are very lucky.

 

Now I have written four pages of letter sheet & your three pages of note paper. I guess I had better direct this to Laura on the envelope as Martha may be at Hardwick, but Martha must count it as hers as I do not want to see her complaining because I do not write as often as she does. Observe this is No 5 & Martha's just rec'd is No 3 Who's ahead!!! Love to All Your dear Brother John

 

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I have orderd the Scientific American to be sent to father. I wish he would keep them & see all the numbers come.

 

Pass in the questions you want answered! Hurry up your letters "March"!!

 

The pistol came to Wisconsin after I left the State & Mr Sprague of Watertown who visited the Regt at Helena Ark brot it to me. I carried it all thro the Service & have it now.

 

Father took no pains to make it nice except inside & said I should soon get it nasty & spoilt. But I have it now & in good condition JPD 4/23 1900

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