Saturday, March 7^th, /63

Camped near Vicksburgh

 

Dear Mollie, I received your letter writen the 22, the 4. you say you received the one containing that moss. it was a long time going. I cant see why it takes so long. it takes yours from 10 days to 2 weeks to come here. the health of our boys is about the same. some are geting beter & others are geting sick. Hary Carpenter was taken sick the other day & he is a sick boy he is runing down very fast. Eathel Kellogg has been sick for some time with the rheumatism he has been so that he could not walk, but he is some better now. S Landon is well, John Furgerson has been sick, but is geting better. some of our boys have been sent up the river. I have not heard from them since they left. M. J. Murry says I shall tell you that he is mending his britches, he is well & harty. Vrooman is well. Jo Evens wanted I should tell you if you see eny of his folks to tell them that he was all right 

 

you spoke about sending me a box of fruit, that would be very nice & something that we want here very much, for some of our boys are having the scurvy & unless they have more fruit & vegitation they will die, for it is the only thing that will cure them. it would be of no use to send a box down here, it might get as far as St Louis & there it would be opened & eat by the big bugs & that would be the last of it, so I think you had better save your time & money for something else. we have not got a captain yet but I think Landon will be the man. Handy can never get eny higher than he is, for he is not fit for the place he now holds. he has told me that he ment to get his discharge this spring. he would have anough to pay his debts & have a litle left. he hasent done eny service for more than a month he is playing off sick, but eats as much as eny man in our company. I have got that peace of your new dress I think it will / look very well, but the prices are outrageos. I wrote to you in my last letter that we had been mustered for pay. we have not got it yet some of the regiments have been paid off & I think we will be next week. it is a mistake there is no paymasters here. Charly Rogers is well & harty. I saw Don yesterday he was as well as common you never told me when he was to pay that note & if you get eny intrest or not but I supose you do for I must pay intrest.

 

Sunday, March 8^th.

the weather has been pleasent for a fiew days we have had a great deal of rain here. the river is very high, it broke through the levee yesterday & stoped all hands from work. I think it will drive us out of the bottoms, for the river is 4 ft higher than we are. I am afraid all our time & labor is for nothing, unless the river goes down so that they can finish that canall. if we halfto leave here, I think we will go up the river. tell Lillie that I am glad that she can get some candy sometimes & that I want her to be good girl & study / her book well for I want her to learn all she can & when I come home I will bring her some thing nice. I received all the papers you sent me. we have just had orders to move this afternoon all the chance that I see is to go up the river & I dont know of eny chance this side of helena or memfis.

 

I dont know as I have eny more to write this time. tell John & Josa to write. my respects to all that may enquire.

 

Good by                                                                     

from Oliver to

Mollie

 

March the 9, we have moved up the river about 4 miles.we have a better comping ground than we had before you can send me that note of Dons

I have just seen Don, he has drawed two months pay. he asked me if I had that note with me, if I had he would pay me I told him I had not, that I did not want it now. he paid me $5 dollars. you can indorse it on the note you need not send the note [remainder stricken and illegible].

 

[margin]

 

Mr Landon wants 10 dollars & he says he will write to his wife & she will pay it, it will be better than to send the money from here. there ma be a chance to send you some more before long you can go & see Mrs Landon /

 

That scrap of paper that I found in your letter surprised me. from what she has said I dident expect eny such thing very soon, but I expect they enjoyed themselves at the time it hapened for it is the greatest enjoyment of life & may we have the privelige again enjoying each others society again for I think a soldier will know how to enjoy his family sirkel & may it ever be as pure as when I left I want you to go to Illinois if you wanto & stay as long as you please. I am well and harty with the exception of the head ache. good by, Mollie

 

[margin]

 

I suppose you are allright on that question you havent said anything about it in your letters I hope not if you wanto write enything to me I want you should do so & not be afraid to talk to me. Oliver

Mollie

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