Thibodaux Louisiana July 4^th 1864

            Mrs M E Keller

 

                                    Deare wife I had thought I would not write to you untill I received a letter from you but this being the 4^th of July I must write you a few liens as I write at this time there is Speaking going on close by our Chaplain is one of the Speakers I went and hearde him Speake for a short time but did not like his Speaking very well left and returned to my Tent. I wish I wer at Home to celebrate the fourth with you and the little ons in the olde fashioned way. I am tiard of hearing Chaplains spouting more especialy when I have very little confidence in them or there religion I firmly beleive our Chaplain is an olde hypocrite and I do not like him although he is staying in my Tent he is a Smart man and a good Speaker but you must not let evry one know how I talke about our chaplain for he is a Presbyterian and some of that Church would write to him probaly and there I would get his ill will I purpose on letting him alone if he lets me alone

 

the Citizens here did not come out to the celebration the most of them are Sesesh as the devil and hate us would cut our throats if they could get an oportunity to do so and at the same time our men are guarding there Property and the Boys are punished severely if they should pull a roasting eare or in fact touch or apropriate the least little article to there own use we Haul wood 8 mile when there is wood close by. I go in for protecting Union mens property but not Rebels it is raining here almost evry day and our camp is very disagreable it being so very flat and no way of draining it I feare if the rain continues we will have Sickness in our camp / but at present the health is good at least reasonable so for this time of yeare there are two of our Company in the Hospital at New orleans I have not hearde from them lately how they are but I do hope it will be a healthy Season here I never want to see sutch a time again as we had in August and September while we wer at Helena Arkansas for I hope this is the last time I will ever have to leave Home and Serve in the Army I have nearly at this time Served foure years I have Soldiered just as mutch as I care about and if evry man takes his turn of three years I think this war can be brought to a close by that time

 

I received a letter from Harter a few days since they are well he wrote me a good letter Mrs Harter also wrote a few liens She is a good woman I respect her very mutch and there is no man living I think more of than I do of Harter I will not except my own Brother William if I can when I return Home I want to go to wher Will is and Stay one day and night with him he insists very mutch on my doing so as you have by this time no doupt hearde he did not go to Oragon he is in a little place called Clayton close to wher he did live I beleive he is Butchering and keeping a Grocery I am glad he did not go to Oragon. I wrote a letter to your Father a few days since giving you him a Sketch of our doings down this way I would write to John Passon if I knew wher he was but I no not. plague on it why do you not write more to me you see I write to you often as I can maney times I write to you when I am tiard and Sleepy nothing I can do here does me more good than to write to you, but in turn I like to receive a reply ocasionly yours of late have been few and far betwen /

 

            Tuesday Morning July 5^th 1864

Deare Vina

                        this morning finds me well the fourth is over often during the day I thought of you and my Home and hope you are all well and in good Spirits let me know in your next how many letters you have received from me count them if it will not be too mutch troubale for you I should like to know how maney have reached you since I left Home but I think there was one or two lost on Red River Some of the Boys here think there letters are opened before geting to there friends I have no reason to think so as yet. the Sun is coming up this morning as warm as ever another hot day is before us and I have no doupt but what we will have Raine before night for it has been Raining evry day of late I will bring my letter to a close for this time hoping I will soon heare from you again from yours as ever

                                                Samuel J Keller

 

Letter No 29

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