Helena Arkansas December 26^th 1862

 

Dear Malvina

                                    This eavning I set down to devote a portion of the eavning in writing to you. to day yours dated the 19^th inst came to hand I was sorry to learn you are troubaled with the Cramp in your stomach but hope you are well by this time the letter gave me more sadisfaction in regard to size and news than any I have Received from you while in the service. if those persons about Bluffton want to Fight had better come down this way they can get as mutch as they wish of the article and not Fight one another. and Diana too can get all the Fighting she wants or amost any thing else she wants. it appears from what I can learn that those Companys that started from Bluffton last have suffered very mutch with sickness since in the service more so than the first Companys I have only had foure men to die in my Company. we have lost the fewest men of any Company in our Regiment some of the Companys have lost as maney as eighteen or twenty men we have had a number discharged on the account of sickness soldiering in this country is hard on men a maney of a poor fellow will be ruined in health during this life and there will be great Rejoicing when this war is ended and peace declared and I know one fellow about my size who would leap with Joy. when / I get my discharge you had better beleive I will make some long steps for Bluffton not only me but others are as eager to get Home as my selfe. yesterday day was a dull lonesome Christmas to me but I hope to pass off next Christmas in a more agreable manner at Home in Bluffton with you and our little ons. has little Sam and Ella got a sled to pull around if not get some one to make them one for it is good exersize for them that little Blackeyed Cate I do not know mutch about her whether she is large enough to pull a sled or not but I know a year or more has made quite a difrence in there size does Sam apear to grow more strait than he used to be learn him to holde his head up when he walkes and throw his shoulders back also and by so doing I hope he will become strait if I was at Home I could straiten him up I have considerable of that Buisness to attend to here among the Boys in the Company. this thing going humped up is all a habit and a very ugly habit also poor little Willie how nice and strait he was and I hope my little Sama will try and improve and be equaly as strait as deare little Willie was. you say you cannot have the patience to think of enough to write me a large letter my deare a most anything you can write will be interresting to me any news from home is interesting or anything about the children or there doings or saying how does Dave studabaker and Sam get along /

 

            I hope Sama will not be a quarlsom Boy it is about Bed time so I will close for this Eavning last night there was considerable confusion in camp as the gurillas attacked our Pickets we do not know on going to Bed any night but what we may be aroused up during the night to fight the devils as they are hovering around us day and night watching an oportunity to surprise us I hope if they ever do pitch in to us it will be in day light but we will give them the best turn we can either by night or day if they feel like pitching in

 

Saturday Morning Dec 27^th 1862

This is a beautifull morning as warm and Balmy as a May day the Birds are singing and all nature appears full of Life you stated in your last that you had a nice snow we have no snow here the Roads at this time are in good condition that is not mudy the Missisipi River is Raising whitch is an indication that there has been heavy Rains up North some wher. we begin to think it is about time we wer geting Paid off the last of this Month we will have foure Months pay due us I think we will be Paid shortly. I presum gold and silver is scarce with you there is none here for a dime in coin would cure the sore Eys in this latitude I fear our Country is going to destruction People are geting afraid of paper money and are hording up the specia we must do the same when you get / holde of any hard money lay it away if it is ever so little                             

 

     Sunday Eavning Dec 28

This has been a beautifull milde day and to night not a cloud to be seen it is a nice moonlight night the silver moon is Rolling on and looks as beautifull as she used to in hapy nights long since gone by. Tap, Tap goes the drum its for church but I am not going the old Chaplain is going to gass a while and I do not care about going to hear him for I beleive there is just as good men as him a thousand mile from here but if I was at Home I would go to heare almost any person for to get to go along with Malvina if she was going to church I have got enough of the Stag churches or meeting wher there are no women to mingle there voices in the singing it is true we very frequently have Negro wenches present but I would any time Rather have there places filled by as maney big Black dogs. I hope to God when this war is over I will never see an other Negro for I have seen enough of them while down south to last me as long as I live Poor God forsaken wretches they are sufring very mutch many of them are nearly starved to death and are about naked they have been dieing here at this place at the Rate of ten or fifteen a day they frequently throw two or three in one grave without a box of any kind but enough I must close for the want of space I as ever Remain your most affectionat husband          S J Keller

 

                                                                                    Mrs M E Keller

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