On Board Steamer Moderator March 22^th 1863

 

Dear Malvina

                        I have just received a letter from you dated the 8 of this month I ame glad you are all well but I ame sorry that money has not come to hand as yet but I have no doupt but you have got it by this time you will have to be as saving of it as you can I ame sorry I could not send more as I wished to save enough to take me home I have got a leave of absence from General Grant for twenty days to leave this department but I cannot go at present untill the Army I ame with gets out of this Country we are away down in the State of Missisipi and I cannot leave at present but as soon as we get out in to the Missisipi River again I am going home that is certain but how soon that will be I cannot say it may be in a week and it may be a month or more we have been going up the River but we met seven Boat loads of soldiers and we turned back again down stream and I expect will be in the Yazoo River in two or three days you will heare of the expedition in the news papers. that Fort I mentioned in my last letter we did not take as our force was too small I am glad you have Rented the land when I come home I will give Connor work to do Jake says the apple trees look well I hope Connor will take good care of them I want to write to Jake as soon as I can get a chance to do so this morning I expected we would be in Helena in two or three days but I ame doomed to disapointment as we / have turned down the River again we are on the Talahatchie River it may be we will go in to the Yazoo River and come out in to the Missisipi River above Vicksburg ther is no telling at present wher we are going but we all want to get back in to the Missisipi River again you can scarsly conceive how anxious I am to see you all but I ame compelled to wait untill we get out of this scrape we are in at present whitch I hope will soon be over this is a very poor letter and I have a poor place to write so I will close I am well and hope to be well untill I see you once more

 

Yours most affectionately while life

Remains with me

                                    Sam J Keller

            Mrs Malvina E Keller

 

                        NB, the Boys are all well

                        that are with me from Bluffton

 

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Inclosed you will finde five

                                    dollars

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