Camp at Ridles Point Mo March 23 1862

 

                                                                                                Deare Malvina I set down

to write you a few liens this eavning I have not as yet received a letter from you while in Mo but I received one yesterday from my friend J Mcfaden he says you are all well it was glorius news for me to heare from my family once more he does not say whether you received that money or not but I hope you have and my letters also we have not received any money as yet but hope we soon will and then I can sende you money suficient to do you the coming summer be sure and let me know how you are geting along but I hope I can soon go home for the Rebels are geting used up. be in good cheer Malvina all will soon be right again it is just foure months to day since we arived at Indianapolis I have to day writen to Harter and your Father yesterday we buried one of our men who belonged to my company by the name of Jonathan Ady whose family lives close to Ossian some men belonging to our regiment and a sitizen and his children got to picking at a Bomb shell whitch the Rebels thew at us the other day and it exploded killing the man and his two little / Boys and one soldier making foure persons it tore some of them nearly all to peices it was a horrible sight to beholde the poore mother and wife was to be pitied as she looked on her family mangled to peices the shell had laide in water for several days I have alwas been very carefull to caution my fellows to keepe away from them and not to handle them I saide to them as the olde woman saide by the gun they was dangerous without lock stock or barrel tell Miss Aspinwall Westly come up to the Regiment to day he looks well and hearty and is in good spirits I think I will get a letter from you to morrow eavning and I think after this our letters will come regular at least I hope so tell the Boys to stay at home when not at school and be good Boys

 

yours most affectionately

                                    Samuel J Keller

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