In Rear of Vicksburg Missisipi June 13^th 1863

 

            My Dear Malvina

                                                I cannot imagin why it is I do not get a letter from you the mail comes frequently but no news from Home for me probaly my letters do not reach you but if sutch is the case it is not my fault for since we have been here I write twice a week to you at least. affairs about this place are about the same as when I last wrot to you this morning about day light the Rebels fiered over in to our Camp from there Rifles the balls came whistling over and killed one man in his Bed his Home is in Decator in fact very few of us wer out of Bed when the fiering Commenced as for my selfe I did not heare any thing of it untill it was all over it may appear strang to you when I tell you that my Tent is as close to foure large seige guns as from our House to Karns wagon shop and frequently during the night they are fiered off and the report from them do not wake me or disturbe me while a sleepe they can be heard sixty or seventy miles off I get so very tiard and sleepy and have become so acustomed to hearing the nois we was in the Rifle Pitts day before yesterday and it Rained nearly all day and night during the night the Thunder and Lightning was awfull and was very dark as the Lightning would flash we could see the Rebel Pickets watching us and maney of them seting crouched up on there Forts it Rained down in Torrents on us and in maney places the Rifle Pitts wer knee deep with mud and water I have seen and forgoten a great maney things during this war / but that night I never shal forget and there is other nights of stormes I have not forgoten I allude to those nights we Passed over in going to and from Minnessota I hope my deare Malvina will never see any more sutch hard times as we experienced while on those Trips as for my selfe I have never known anything but hard times since my Father died my hapyest days wer in Childe hood and since I become acquainted with Malvina but I cannot help but to think and hope but there are better times coming for me. all I want is to be permited to return to my little Famly and Home again I frequently set and study how hapy I would be and how I would manage my affairs to make a living I purpose on quiting makeing Brick and follow Farming if I cannot buy 20 acres more of land of Davis joining our land I will sell and buy that 80 acres on Rock as it is the nicest peice of land in Wells County it has got water on it the whole yeare and two springs and it nearly all high dry land and has gravly noles on it Beautifull places to Build on and also for a cellar to be nice and dry and the very place to raise Fruit Trees and Schrubery

 

June 15^th 1863

                        Yesterday was sunday but it came our turn to go in to the Rifle Pitts during the day we done considerable of shooting but none of our men wer hurt it appears like a singular way of serving the Lord on sunday this morning we have just returned to Camp and I hasten to finish my letter the mail come in last eavning and I received two letters from you / one dated the first of June and the other the third I was glad to learn you wer all well and had received my letter I am sorry you had any dificulty with the Buckles about sutch foolishness as Negroes I must say that when the President talked of Freeing and arming the Negroes that I used to get very mad about it but I have changed my mind very mutch of late concerning the Negroes they fight like devils a few days ago nine hundred of them went in to a fight and wer all killed and wounded but three hundred but a few days ago they had a fight close to us and they whiped the Rebels I had no Idea they would fight so well and if the goverment keeps on arming them they will whip the South them selves. know is it not better that we use them than the Rebels for if we do not they will certain they go and fight and there Negroes stay at Home and farm. and again would it be fair to return them to Slavery after fighting for there liberty. and again if those sesesh devils had behaved them selves they could have always kept there Negroes and we all might be at Home at peace they brought the troubale on the Country and we have got to do the best we can those Negroes are here and what are we to do with them I say let them go in if you had seen what I have seen you would be in favor of using the devil if he would help us would you not rather see the ground strewed with dead Negroes than our Noble Boys as I have seen it is a very easy matter for those persons at Home who have plenty to eate and good water when they want it and good Beds to sleep in and no danger close at Hand to be very nice about who shal Fight at this instant the Cannons are roaring close by us Oh how horrible war is the greatest calamity that ever / befell a nation I hope you will not think hard of me for speaking my mind so freely on this subject and I feel confident you will think as I do when you reflect seriously on the subject for I assure you we have no childs play down this way you know Malvina I was never in favor of freeing the Negroes or having any thing to do with them but I say know if the Negroes Fight and free them selves let them go it and they are going to do it olde Abe tolde them the Rebels that if they would lay down there arms they could keep there Negroes but the scoundrels would not do so and know let them suffer I say go it darkey give them Hell, for they deserve it if they would at this time say they woulde behave themselves I say let them have there Negroes you need not feare the Negroes will never come up in to Indiana they will stay in the South wher they belong I never want to see one more come in to our state for our Noble State was made for white men and let those that like Negroes so mutch come down this way and live with the stinking things I woulde like to helpe chase the last one of them down here out of our state and I hope it will be done and as long as the war continues and they want to kill some of the meanest men on earth I again say go it Negro or the devil if he wants to take a hand for I firmly beleive war is the works of the devil Excuse my abrupt manner of writing for I think just what I write. do write often and a little larger letters if you please you have got more time than I have but I beleive I write the largest letters yours

                                                SJ Keller

                        Mrs M E Keller /

 

[upside down margins]

I will write again to you in two days

 

When you buy paper buy larger sheets like I do and then fill them up that is the way

                                                                                                            SJK.

SOURCES