Thibodaux La July the 22^d 1864.

My Dear Friend Alexander Roeser.

 

I received yours & Wiedmers on the 18^th inst. & was much pleaced to learn that you are all sound and safe yet & that the kentucky Guerillas not plundered you any. Well an other glorious Fourth of the at present so ingloriously dis United States is gone by. Nobody but yourself is to blame if you did not try to get the best of it. It’s much praiseworthy for young Republicans to mack themselfes aquainted with the weapens of free men as early as possible. Prepare for war in time of peace, boys of your age leave in peace yet most any where I reckon Young folks should nevertheles be very carefull in handling firearms, it’s a heap better to be carefull & enjoy then to be careless & suffer for it.

 

            Our celebration was a good one too the ringing of the churchbells & the roar of cannons anounced the day of the Declaration of Independence. During the forenoon the whole force consisting of the 11^th 4^th & 60^th I.V. 34^th & 29^th Iowa & Wisconsin egiments with the Delaware Battery boys assembled without arms in a shady grove, speeches were made by several chaplains and other officers and by our General Cammeron himself; this later is a very funny chap & a good fellow too. He told us that we was going to celebrate the 4^th, free from all stifness as citizens & not as soldiers & to show us that he was in earnest he pulled off his heavy coat, away with the Star & thus adressed his respectable audience shirt sleefs./No wunder he has done so, the hens that day nearly layed boiled egs on account of the immence heat!—The General in the course of his speech told us that it would be useless to point out the time when this cruel war would be over, just prepare yourself to fight on 6 months, one year, two years, fight to the last, to the very last till these aristocratic Southerners get enough of it, crush them down to the verge of poverty, that’s the only way to bring them round to reason again. I fear there is some truths in the above words.

            Towards evening we marched in a collumn, but this time with arms & in grand turn through the town & made a pretty good show.

 

            Lager Beer closed the day at the rate of $12 a barrel (pretty cheap) hower we or at least my humble self got enough of it at the moderate fare of 50 cts it was the most pleasant Fourth since I am in the army & hope most sincierly that it will be the last one. the next I expect to be with you all again not to leave a second time to eat sawbelly & crackers & kill Rebells. No Sir. Mamma puts up better fixings then Uncel Sam & the d___ Rebells shoot bullets too that’s the devil of it.

 

Write to me as often as you pleace about cows cats, chickens, pigs, flowers, corn, cabbage ect ect. is the Katty a good cow? is cherry as well modelled as Falchly was? Watermellons is as plenty here as pave stones. Do you get any on your plantation.

                                                Your true friend George Oboussier

 

As you have not school at present I wished you would write me a long letter & answer me all the questions put on the end of my letter.

 

[Two more sides devoted to a letter to Wiedmer, German in German script]

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