Tiptonville Tennessee April 21^the 1862

            Mrs Malvina Ellen Keller

 

                                                                                                            Deare wife it is

almost sundown and cloudy and rainy and as I feele lonesome I thought I woulde set down and write you a few liens although I have writen several to you and have received no answer as yet our Mailes do not come and go regular as did some time ago the last letter I received from you was dated April the 9 we have had some very disagreable weather for three days it has been raining and blowing as I write at this time my tent is shaking and cracking as if it woulde go to peices equal to the severest winde we have ever expeirienced out on the Prairie the Missisipi is as high as it was ever known to be and is on the rise we are encamped on a high spot of ground the river in places is 40 mile Wide the people down this way are buisy geting on the highest ground the sesesh below here will have all they can do at present to take care of there Familys to keepe them from drowning our Regiment is perfectly safe at present as the Rebels cannot get at us for water we are completely serounded by water and the Boys are as hapy as coons plenty to eate and nothing to do but to stand guarde ocasionly the healthe of the Regiment is good there is no soldiers at this point but the 47 the 34 Regiment that Swaimes Company is in is at New Madrid 11 mile above us on the River we are about five mile from Island No 10 strait through but it is about 30 mile by way of the River / quite a number of our gun Boats are bellow us down the River and two Regiments are with them they went down in common River Boats there has been a bout thirty thousand soldiers left New Madrid and have went up the Tennessee River so as to assist in whiping the Rebels at Corinth Missisipi wher we expect to heare of a horrible Battle in a few days whitch if our men whip will ende the war some of our officers think the next move from here will be back home I hope it may be so you know I saide before we left I expected to get back home again the fourthe of July coming if we can get Back again then I will be very glad

 

April ^the 22 as breakfast is not ready this morning I thought I woulde write a few more liens it has cleared off last night and the wind has went down the sun is rising beautifull and cleare and the birds are singing in the Bushes and all nature apears full of life and animation I think this morning that the River is about on a stand that is not Raising I have not Received a letter from Harter for a greate while I have of late been geting but very few letters from any person I received one a few days a go from Wisner in regard to them Brick that Pappenberger hauled he acted very meane with me in not hauling them Brick properly but I cannot helpe it I ame here and coulde not atend to it I expect I will have to loose by it I never in all my life felte so mutch out of humor about anything /

 

I received a letter from Harison a few days ago he says he is going to Calafornia this spring and says they are all well and doing well but says that is no country for him he saide that they had received a letter from you just at this instant the seargeant Major poked his heade in to my tent and sayes Captain you are officer of the day to day the duty of the officer of the day is to see that the guardes do there duty and understand there duty and the officer of the day also keepes a look out around camp that all goes well we Captains take turns at it when the Captains are all well my turn comes evry ten days the duty is very easy and we woulde about as leave be officer of the day as not I hope you are all well I dreamt last night that Ela had the sore throat but you know I do not beleive in dreams consequently it does not cause me any uneasyness my healthe is very good W Buckles is well and the Boys are generly in good health West Aspinall is well Math Johnson is Rather poorely what has become of Cal Karnes I do not know I must close let me know when you get that money and if you got that five dollars I sent you in a letter and that golde dollar I sent you in my last letter

 

Yours, forever

                                                Sam J Keller

 

this is poorely

writen do not let

any one see it

as I have writen it on

my knee

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