Sanantonio Texas

                                    August 24^th 1865

 

Dear Wife       Once more I Have the Privledge of droping you a fiew lines Informing you that I Am enjoying good Health Well Lizzie we Have Reached our destionation at last—we were on the march 14 days from the 10 Inst till the 23. Inst we marched the Distant of one Hundred And Seventy five miles over the Sandey Dezeret of Texas We Could only get Water every 15 miles—And veary Pore it was. we Have only Had Half Rations on this long tramp we Have Wermey Crackers to eat. Harde Soldering In time of Peace I say. Well Lizzie we Are now Camped five miles from Sanantonio. I cant tell How long we will Reman Hear Perhaps not veary long. I cant tell whear we will go when we leave this Place. I Hope we will go from Hear home. I Ame tired of Texas./

 

we Have now traveled nearley too Hundred miles In the State And I dont think I Have Saw 50 Houses duering the march. the People that lives In Texas Are nearley All Colord People Negroes Indians And french we cant understand there language nor they cant understand ours

 

                                    Lizzie we Have Hard times. I never was So disharted In my life we Are used wors than doges. the Boys Are All downharted we Have lost a good meney of our Brave Soldiers sins we Have Been In Texas. A grate meney could not Stand the march. the Heat caused a grate meney to give out And Some that died. we Have terable Hot Weather Hear. Some days I thought I would Haft to give out But my little curage kep me moving. Lizzie I cant tell when I will get Home there no Sines of our getting out veary Soon we may get Home In a year or So/But not much Sooner. Lizzie I dont expect to get meney letters from you wile I Am So fare from Home nor I dont expect you will get meney from me. It will take letters 3 month to get Home from this Place

Lizzie I Recevied a letter from Sallie A Taylor the 10 of this month. But I Have no chance to Answer It now. But I want you to tell Sallie that I was glad to Receve a letter from Hur. Lizzie I think I will go in town tomorrow I want to Se the grate City of Sanantonio. Lizzie I Have a veary Pore Place to write And my Pencil is veary Short So I Close

 

            Lizzie I think Perhaps we will get Home By the last of December Perhaps Sooner. I want you to Keep In good Chear till I Come Home I now It Seemes Harde that we/Cant be together But I do Hope the time Is Clost At Hand when we can Returne Home Lizzie I will tell you what I think of our Present Administration when I get Home

 

            I think that Hell will never Have Its dews till they get the men that Sent ous In Texas

            Well Il Close

 

I Ask you to write Soon I Hope this may find you And the Rest of the familey

 

From your Husband J. M. Piles

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