No 3

 

The Office Camp Randall Wis.

Oct. 13th 1862

 

My dear Sister,

I improve almost the first opportunity of a quiet time I have had since the receipt of your letter mailed Oct. 7th No 2 (not No. 1 as you say) to answer yours. Your letter is certainly the gloomiest one I believe I ever had from you. You do look at every thing so distrustfully and sadly. You ask if your letters are too tedious to read in my hasty business as though I were the most cruel of brothers and had said I wanted short letters! and again when I speak about "troubling" you folks at home for this or that you construe it in its strongest sense, and make it appear I insinuated I would never call for any thing more from home on account of some miff or the like.

 

In another place you find a great deal of trouble in your social life and haps—You was not invited here or there: and lastly you speak of your Father's coldness and [?]ness.

 

My dear Sister, you find a great many bad things out of a very slight matter. You fairly distrust all of us. I will admit it is not pleasant not to be invited to the party of persons so well acquainted with you as the persons you mention, but I consider there is some reason for this and they are not so much to blame as you would make / them. You know yourself that you have kept somewhat aloof from society and chose to be a more home girl. In some respects and in your case this notion should be practised a little, but I think you have kept yourself a little too much from society. You are not for gay and busy life so much as for the few quite social fews, so I think you should make it a point to call and cultivate an acquaintance between all the good young ladies in town, then have a few to visit oftener whom you like better and that is enough society for you. If you had kept up a Dr & Cr account with of Calls with all the girls you would have been invited, so go more, but not so much as Clara does.

 

But I beg of you, my sister, not to write again so distrustful sentences about your Brother. If you are tempted to write them suppress the thought. You know I would do everything for the happiness of my sisters. I know I am a poor brother and come far short of doing what I should for my sisters but I believe I love them as well as any brother and it is only my carelessness that makes me no better.

 

You make yourself much trouble by being so particular about invitations. If any of the girls choose to slight you, be determined to treat them in a Christian matter manner and in all respects do your duty. Ever be cheerful and do all the good you can. "Hope on hope ever", and trust in Him who can keep you.

 

If I have been careless in answering your questions it is because I have written hastily and overlooked them, or some like cause. In regard to the money due Wm, it is only partly paid. I paid his father some of it and forgetting how much it was have not paid it but will find out and settle. You will observe that this letter is my "No 3" and it is to answer your No 2. Now young lady keep your number up.

 

In the letter Father sends with yours he says he would like a place in the Army: if I see a chance of one I will let him know. I have thought much of having Father with me and finding a good place for him and will try so to do. Father seems to think I cannot shoot any. He forgets how I once beat Lord and Geo Reed. Well the fact is I never shot a rifle enough to learn, and why I can not shoot a pistol is because I never shot one but a few times. After I have practised and then can not shoot it is time to say I can not use a rifle. I have been unable to practise shooting on account of my short sight and did not wear glasses but I propose having a pair of glasses and seeing well. I do not think it necessary to send me any medicine. I have free use of the benefit of three doctors and a whole store of medicines and they are poor sticks if they can not help a fellow out of the dysentary. When we first came about the whole Regt was troubled with summer complaint and no one was dangerously ill but were cured immediately by the physicians.

 

It was caused by the change of food & living. I took care of myself and avoided it. One great trouble with the soldiers is they neglect a thing too long and as a last resort go to the Doctors. One of our soldiers died to-day of depth-theria and he would have lived I believe if he had gone to the physicians immediately, but he let it go until he could not swallow coffee without groaning. None of our soldiers are sick about now I guess.

 

Three Companies of the 30th Regt are encamped on the same ground with us and six companies arrive to night and the rest of the Regt soon. We have received and distributed nearly all the overcoats, pants and shirts and drawers and will get the rest of the clothes soon and be off in about ten days I guess.

 

Where we shall go I know not but in my next can tell you I guess. You have not said anything about the prayer meetings for a long time. Do you attend them regularly? You have a good class in S.S. and see how much good you can do there. Do any of the rest of the family attend church now?

 

I have very little rest and Sabbath going since the Regt came. Last Sunday I had to work hard about all day giving out clothes to the men. We had thirteen loads come Sat p.m. & evening which consisted of about 1000 overcoats, 1000 pants & 1000 drawers.

 

Now you can not complain for a letter. I have written a sheet all over & you wrote a small sheet all over. Have I answered all the questions of my dear sister?

 

Your dear brother

John

 

[margins]

This letter is to my sister Martha who like her father often had the "blues" JPD 4/23 1900

 

Seems to me as I look at this letter now (4/23 1900) that the folks at home were a very poor cheer for me entering Army life & just about as much of a cheer as I now get fr my family. JPD

 

It happened at Natchez Miss that I got the summer-complaint & a Doct (DuBois who never knew much) couldn't stop it & I sent home for some tops of golden-rod which came by mail & stopped my trouble & I remember a tea of this herb tasted so much like Vermont & home-life it seemed a delicious drink JPD 4/23 1900

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