Camp Neare New Orleans August 23^th 1863

 

Mrs M E Keller

                                    deare wife I again write you a few liens although I have not received any from you since we left Natchez there does no mails come to us of late why sutch is the case I no not I feare my letters do not reach you I do not know the day or hour we will leave here we have orders to be ready to move at any time and I think we will leave in two or three days but in what direction we will go I do not know but it is supposed by some we will start for Texas the health of our Regiment is very good at present there are but a few of our men sick Harne Philips has got the Typhoid Fever and the Surgeon has just informed that he cannot live. my health is geting good again and I feel able for an other tramp we had a grand Review here yesterday by General Banks we are under Banks we are all sorry we have got out from under General Grant and have got among those Yankees the flower of Grants Army is here at present under Banks it may be in a few days we will be sailing on the Gulph of Mexico at present we are within six mile of salt water but deare Malvina I have strong hopes of geting Home this Fall or winter this damnd infernal Rebellion is about played out thank gooness it is the opinion of evry one down this way that in a short time it will go to peices the Rebels here say they are whiped that there cause is utterly hopeless I hope you and our deare little ons are well and that you are geting along well also I hope to heare that wood is hauled up in your next letter you / do well to engage Potatoes of some one who has a Seller to keep them in but certainly you ought to get Potatoes enough of the place to do you but I do not expect to get mutch this yeare but I have a very strong notion of Farming next season my selfe how does little Samuel get along is he a good Boy I hope he is tell him to Remember his Father and be a good Boy and that when I get home he shall have a good time and tell Ella and Catharine they shal frequently ride with me on the Horses and in the Wagon and as for the oldest girl Malvina I feel my selfe under obligations to obey her evry wish for some time to come when I get Home but we are far apart at present nearly two thousand mile but I feel full of hope that there is a better time close at hand Oh how I long to see the day that I can Return to my home and be a free man once more again so that I can go and come when I please and live like a white man I have seen all the horrors of War that I want to see. but at the same time I want to stick to this war as long as there is a Rebel left to fight or in opisition to our glorious Country I cannot think of more at present so I will close hoping soon to heare from you some of the soldiers out of other Regiments are dieing off here at a fearfull rate but as I said before ours is healthy at this instant they are playing the dead march by my Tent how sad I feel to heare that mournfull tune it brings to my minde the harde times I seen while in the Mexican War some of our Regiments that started from Indiana with one thousand Men have not got at this time more than one hundred an / fifty men for duty and in several instances there are not that maney in a Regiment our Regiment has got at this time three hundred and twenty or thirty men for duty ours is one of the largest Regiments here General Banks on the Review yesterday give us praise as being a splendid Regiment ours is called one of the best Regiments in the service here and is well known all along the Missisipi River

 

yours most affectionate for ever                     Sam J Keller

 

NB direct to New orleans Louisiana

SOURCES