Camp Pope June 28^th /61

 

Dear Brother & Sister

                                    Your kind letter was received by todays mail and I assure you it was read with pleasure as letters from Friends are doubly welcome to me under present circumstances. I also had the pleasure of reading a letter from Owen & one from Geo & Kate I suppose I will have to wait a while now before hearing from home again. We left Freeport on Wensday Tuesday morning a week ago and got to Alton about 7 oclock the next morning and we were about as dirty and tired a set as you could find every where along the road we were met with cheers till we got to Alton things / looked rather suspicious they had not a word to say but if they are inclined to favor the South they had better keep quiet about it at least while we are here. Alton is a very purty place numbering about 12000 inhabitants we are encamped about 1½ miles from town right on the R.Road in a very healthy location but poor ground for drilling owing to the stumps but we have got them purty well dug out we had no fighting to do so we went to grubing by way of exercise there is between four and five thousand in camp at this place and expect about 1000 more besides 400 Cavalry We expect some Artillery next week. so we will soon be ready to pay our respects to Jeff Davis. The health of the camp / is very good My health was never as good in my life as now as it as I do excuse mistakes is now and most sincerely hope it will continue. We Received our money to day so the boys feel purty good. We have abundance of fruit vegetables of all kinds and very cheap I do not find the weather much warmer here than in Carroll, the water is good it is not known where we will go when we leave here but I presume it will be to Memphis. But I guess we will wait the action of Congress before we leave. Our Colonel thinks we will stay several weeks yet. the name of our Commander is Thomas J Turner 15 Reg Co K Now as it is getting dark I must close hopeing to hear from you soon I remain as ever your

Affe Brother George

Address Alton Co K 15 Reg

care Capt Nase /

 

[front margin upside down]

 

accept my thanks for stamps

 

I will send you a card

George

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