Camp Wickliffe Near New haven Jan 17^th 1862

Mrs M E Keller

 

                                                                                                            Deare wife I received

your letter of the 10 of this monthe last eavning it gives me greate sadisfaction to heare from you and to heare your healthe is better and also to heare the children are all well I can say I ame well but ame kept buisy at worke we drill about seven hours per day and have a Military School whitch we have to get lessons and recite evry night except sundays and then we have inspection whitch ocupies a good portion of the day we have no Idle time here you say you wish I coulde come home but that can not be so at present I think at this time I will go home some time in the spring probaly about time to make Garden if possible. in my last I sent you five dollars when I get paide upp I will sende my pay home. it is very mudy here at this time and disagreeable the grounde is froze slightly this eavning the Boys are all in bed but my selfe olde Billy Buckles and James Gorden sleepe in my / tent they are snoreing away close by my side as I write the captain draws a good large tent for him selfe we keepe a good sheete iron stove in it and have straw tick to sleepe on and plenty of covers we sleepe comfortable W Buckles cooks for us Dick comes in frequently and visits me I tolde him to day that Ellen sent her best wishes to him he colered up in his face and run out of the tent I plague him a good deale about it one of our boys has got the small small pox John Marten he laide several days in the tent sick before we found out what was the occasion of his sickness he was taken out of camp a mile and 15 boys sent out also who tented with him I have beene vaxinated twice in a weeke it does not take I think I would not take the small pox if I was with them or exposed to them give my love to the children tell them I think of them evry day write soone again direct to New Haven Kentucky give my compliments to the friends yours most affectionately

                                    Sam J Keller

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