Tiptonville Tennessee May 18^th 1862

            Mrs M E Keller

 

                                                                                                            Dear wife this is the

third letter I have writen to you since I received your last we have just received orders to have three days rations cooked whitch is an indication that we will leave here to day in whitch derection I have not learnt but I ame of the opinion that we will go farther down the river probaly to Memphis all of our Regiment goes but two companys who stay to take care of our bagage and tents and sutch of the men stay who are not able to stand the fatigue of a march our boys are very mutch pleased to get out on a tramp they are jumping around cooking and singing as if there was a frollic on hands the Bluffton boys are all well and full of fun as soon as we make a halt and an oportunity presents it selfe I will write to you again direct your letters as before and they will come to hand I hope you are better and that our little ones are well the Bugle is sounding Close to my tent for church I must come to a close and go we are all thinking very mutch / of geting to return to our homes shortly our Colonel Slack says we will be home in time to celebrate the fourth of July my God I hope his prediction will be true no more at present but write amediately

 

            I ame as ever yours most affectionately

                                                                        Sam J Keller

 

N B I beleive I have been

laboring under a mistake

this is the first letter since

I received your last whitch

has something in regard

to olde Drue diging up our

Garden he woulde make a good

hand to drive snails to water

have good care taken of our

trees how is my chesnut trees geting

along. here is a little bunch of

Cotton plant one two or three

seeds and save the rest untill

I come home and next yeare I

will show you how to raise

Cotton but on rather a small scale

                                    Sam Keller

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