No 17                                                                                                 

July the 30 26, /63

Camped near Black river

 

Dear Mollie

I have the opertunity of writing a fiew lines to you. Jo Evens is going to vixburg to day & he will mail it there. I wrote you a letter when we was at Jackson the 15, & received one from you the same day, dated June 19. I was glad to get it for I had not received eny since the 25 of June May. since I received your letter we have had a long march. we have been to Canton, 25 miles from Jackson. I have got back so far. we are 12 miles from Vixburg. I think we will camp here for a time. we have been on the move every day since the 4. the weather is very hot & some men droped down in their tracks. the sun was so hot & the roads so very dusty that it was enough to smother eny man. there is some talk of our going up the river / to recruit, but I dont believe it. there are some going home on furlow I would like to go home but it will cost thirty or forty dollars & I dont feel as if I could aford it. if we should go up the river I may come home if I have a chance.

 

July the 30, /63

Dear Mary, I received 3 letters from you one of them from Josa, which I opened first. it brought me very sad news, that of your sickness. I felt as if I must go and see you, but that is imposibel, they would not let me go if they knew you never would get well. a soldier isent eny beter than a dog. I wont say eny more about it. I knew you was very sick or you would not had Josa write for you. I am glad you did so, for I wanto hear from you as often as I can. the second one I opened brought me beter news, it revived me very much. it was your own hand writing / dated the 12. I was glad to hear that you was able to sit up & write again. Mary I want you should be very careful & not do more than your strength will alow. I have thought you was doing more than you was able to stand now I think you had beter quit your school, for I am afraid you cannot stand it. if you do teach this term out I dont want you should commence until you gain your strength & then you had beter hire your board near the school house. if you cant do that dont teach the school. the third letter was dated June 21. the two you wrote me had paper & envelops & stamps. well Mary since we have moved since I commenced this letter. we are near black river on the railroad, runing from Vixburg to Jackson. the cars dont run eny further than here, about 12 miles from Vixburg. there is some talk of our camping here all summer. others say we will go to memfis. I dont pretend to know whare we will / go. some of the boys think we will go home. Jo Blakesly says as long as the 9 months men of the 76 Ohio are here he wont give up but what we will go home, their time was out the 1 of July our general said he could hold them for thirty days. they are in our brigade. I think we are good for 3 years unless the war ends sooner. I think the rebellion is nearly crushed out. if the east does as much as much the west has done I think the war will end within one year. I tell you we have cleared them out down here, the most of them have gone to Georgia & mobeal. a great many of them say they wont fight eny more they are tierd of the war. at Vixburg we have taken thirty seven thousand 2 hundred prisoners, 300 & 20 peaces of light artilery 300 siege guns, 4000 stand of arms, 5000 wagons, mules without number. we the last trip to Jackson we laid every thing in ashes it is the only way to get along with them. the health of the boys is not very good Vrooman has had the ague / the most of the boys have been sick with the ague. we have only 16 men fit for duty, nearly one half of our company was left at Vixburg sick. Will Furason was quite sick when we left. we have had a hard summers campaign & I would like to come home. they are giving furlows to some but they give only 20 days, not eny to excede 30 days from the time they leave the regiment well mary I cant write much more this time. I received a letter from your mother a fiew days ago & I will send it to you. She wrote a very good letter. I will write to her as soon as I can. 

 

I cant say how soon this letter will go out, there is no office established yet.

 

Mollie I hope this will find you well again, for I think of you every hour in the day & the children the same I was glad that Josa to get a letter from Josa. it is the first she has writen to me. no more this time my respects to all who may enquire

From Oliver

To Mollie C Shibly

 

I am well & harty

 

I remain yours for ever                                                                      

 

you about that

woman which

was with us at

Camp hren

she never has

been with us

since we left

SOURCES