Near Ridles Point Missouri March 30^th 1862

 

                                                                                                            My deare wife it is

with pleasure I set down to devote a shorte time in adressing you a few liens to you I have been waiting with patience for several days hoping to heare from you our maile is very irregular the last letter I received from you was dated the 13 of this monthe but of late I have received several of your olde letters in your last you say you have not received that money I sent you by express but I hope you have got it by this time it was expressed to Oakley of Fort Wayne to John Studabaker but I have no doubt but what you have got it by this time we are still at our olde camp how longe we will continue here I cannot say we are well sadisfied with this camping ground as it is a good place and good water whitch you know is not very common for Missouri our principle duty here is picket duty whitch our Regiments take turns at that is we take our companye out and stand guarde some distance from our principle camp so that the enemy cannot surprise our maine force we always stay out one day and night consequently we take along with us our Blankets and rations for one day sometimes we stande in sight of the Rebels last night I was out with my company our position was to the reare of our Baterys about halfe mile I with some of the Boys who was not on guard went in to house close by to sleepe the house had been left by the owners in feare of cannon Balls coming too close to be agreable we all lay down and went to sleepe / about midnight one of the Boys come to the doore and says Captain there is a steame Boate coming up I jumped out of Bed and ordered the Boys out of the house as we was in range of there Balls as they fire at our Baterys we run out and coulde heare the Balls whistling around but none come very close to us. as I believe I have informed you before our Batery is placed on the banke of the River so as to prevent the Rebel Boats from running up or down the River but the scoundrels sometimes of nights venture to run past with there gun Boats but it is rather a dangerous experiment for them as our men always shoot at them it being as darke as pitch. the healthe of our men is better than it has been for some time I forget whether I informed you in my last about us having one man to die out my company by the name of Ady we have learnt to day one more has diede who we left sick in Ky his name is Henry singleton his wife lives close to Bluffton poore woman how I sympathise with her probaly she is not aware of his deathe he died at Nelsons Furnace Ky say to Miss Aspinall Westly is well and hearty and as long as he is with me I will take good care of him Dick is well and often comes to my tent and talkes me tiard Malvina pleas go to Mr Micheal Karnes and ask him if he knows any thing about Calven his son the last I hearde of him he was at Nelsons Barracks Ky but we have hearde that they have all been removed from there tell him if he can finde out wher / his son is to write to him and if he thinks he is not able to soldier for him to get a certificate of some doctor to that effect and I will endeavor to get him a discharge from the service as I have saide before Malvina evrything apens to be going wright down this way and I hope we can all go home before long I hope you are all well as for my selfe my healthe is good as soon as I heare from you if to morrow I will write to you again Olde uncle Billy is well and as I write is geting supper by a little fire in front of the tent he is cooking slap jacks and frying mush and beefe we have coffee sugar and molasses whitch constitutes our super you see we have plenty you know how it goes camping out when I get home againe Malvina I ame going to stay with you for I have spent the best of my days roaming like a gipsy as the mush is ready and Bill wants the table or I shoulde have saide box I must close it always apears to me as I close my letters to you I shoulde and must say something to my deare little ones poore little Ella it is a singular fact I have dreamed more about her than all of the rest of you together I ame yours most truly as ever

                                                                        Samuel J Keller

 

                        Mrs E M Keller

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