Camp on the Missisipi March 21^th 1862

 

                                                                                                            Deare wife I set down

this eavning to adress you a few hasty liens informing you that I ame well I was a few days ago afflicted with a verry severe atack of colde whitch was caused by exposuer out on picket duty at night but thank the Lorde I ame well again we have had a greate amount of harde work to do of late in the way of hauling Cannon and diging entrenchments whitch was all done at night our Regiment is the farthest down the Missisipi of any union soldiers the Rebels have left this side of the River in a hury they have shot at us I expect more than a thousand times with there cannon but have not hurt a man in the 47 Regt five of there gun Boats atacked us with one cannon our Boys dug holes in the ground on the Bank of the River and shot at them when they come close enough with there rifles our one cannon doing good worke they threw sollid shot at us weighing 74 pound and Bomb shells some struck so close as fill up the holes / wher the Boys was in and splash water all over them but strange to say not a man was hurt but some wer considerable frightend. the devils shot about 700 shots and then left our cannon damaged them considerable we think no more to heare the Report of a cannon than you do to heare a dog barke. they are fighting at this minuit at Island No 10 above us on the River there cannon are roaring so as to shake the ground here or at least it apears so to us I Received a letter to day from J Mcfaden the first I have received since I left camp Wickliffe Ky and W Buckles got one from John Buckles whitch says tell Capt Keller his family is well it was glorius news for me Oh how it pleases me to heare you are all well I ame looking anxiously for a letter from you our Mailes will know come more regular here after as I ame colde and it is late I will close so good eavning deare Malvina and little ons

                                                                                    Samuel J Keller

 

N B. direct New Madrid Mo

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