Morgansas Bend Louisiana May 22^the 1864

            Dear Malvina

 

                                    I feel thankfull that I am permited to write to you once more and can say to you that I am well except one of my legs is a little lame yet on the 17 of this month a Rebel shot hit me on the leg the ball was nearly Spent it only bruised making a black spot as large as my hand and as Soar as a Blood bile I have marched evry day since except one and that was yesterday. I expect you think I have gone up certain as I think it is nearly one month since I have writen to you we have had an awfull time on this Red River Expedition we have been fighting almost evry day for nearly one Month while up at Alexandria the Enemy Surrounded us and completely cut off our Suplies and captured our Mail going to and from us the Devils got some of my letters we could not get full Rations we went to Bed or to Sleep maney of a night Hungry for one month we have laide down on the ground to sleep often without any covering we generly laide out in open feilds often on Ploughed Ground and the nights being colde we Suffered very mutch and our Pickets being fiered on by the Rebels day and night maney of a time I have laide down and went to Sleep when the Enemy wer shooting at our Pickets within three Hundred yards of me I lost one poor fellow he was Shot in the leg with a peice of Shell and diede the next morning he was the Son of that olde gentleman that left them Boots at our House his name is Milton Sloan he was a good Boy poor fellow his Bones lay away up on Red River far away from his Home on Rock Creek we have all had some narrow escapes / for my part I feel thankfull that I have arived in Sight of the olde Mississipi River again alive we had to fight the enemy to fight the Enemy all the way from Alexandria to the River frequently the wer all around but we whiped them evry time quite a number of men wer Killed on each side those Texeans fight like Devils our men fought well better fighting was never done by men never will I forget this trip up Red River we walked all the way. on our Return some nights we traveled all night we arived at this place to day it is saide we will stay here one week I do not know wher we will go from here we will have to waite for Boats to take us away from here probaly we will go to New Orleans from here this Army at present is prety well used up at present I received foure letters from you to day the last was writen the 8^the of this month I never wanted to heare from Home more in my life I wish you had not made so mutch Garden I feare it will not pay to hire so mutch Garden made but do the best you can. I will be apt to atend to those Smiths when I Return the prospect looks dull for me to get out of the Service untill my time is up this fall but I shal try again the first oportunity more expecialy if your Rhumatism continues I hope we will soon get away from this place to wher some person lives or did live. I am Sorry you have had sutch a wet and colde late Spring let me know if there is any fruit this Season and how the trees look in the lot and the currants also I hope that man will have good luck on the farme he is saide to be a good man to worke write me a good big letter as soon as you get this give me all the perticulars I will write / again in a few days you must not think harde of me not wrighting sooner for it was impossible to get a letter out our mail could not reach us either but was kept here on the River for us the Rebels captured three of our mails up Red River and the Steam Boats also I cannot tell you at present the halfe to cut the matter short we have had one Hell of a time. this is a very poor letter as I have no place to write only on my Knee and I am in a hury as the mail soon goes goes out up the River I wish I could go with it I would feel as hapy as a Larke on a fine morning No more at present your most devoted Husband as ever

            Samuel J Keller

 

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