St. Charles Arkansas Sept 18^the 1864

 

            Dear Wife

                                    This beautifull Sunday morning I seate my Selfe for the purpose of writing you a few lines last Eavning I received a letter from you dated the 2^nd of this month I was glad to learn you wer all well you state you had received my letters of the 15 & 16 & 17^th of last month and you also state you think I done wrong by geting offended at your letter and you say you expect I will go up when I receive that beautifull Poetry nary time I am here yet and probaly ere this you know what I think of that production Malvina it is like Stabing me to the Hearte when I think a friend of mine has Smpathy or takes Sides with those Butternuts and traitors I beleive my Brother is one I shall not go to See him or write him a Scratch if sutch is the case I am sorry there is sutch a feeling in Wells County but if those scoundrels want to fight let them show there hands but I hope sutch will never be the case you expect troubale I feare you will not better it by going to Wayne for I feare there will be troubale in Wayne but I do hope people will have sense enough to behave them Selves I wish I was at Home I am able to take care of my / Selfe and Family but you need not feare certainly no person in the Country is mean enough to disturbe women and Children you say you think I had better not come Home to vote I have not the least idea we will go but I am not afraid to go Home I have served and endangered my life for three years and if there are any person wishes to take my life for so doing they can have a chance it make my hearte ache when I think how some of my friends in Bluffton have acted they assisted to get those men out in the Army we have fought the Enemy three yeare and kept them out of the Northe and know they Slander us and say they will fight rather than helpe finish up the Job they are no better than us our lives and familys are as deare to us as theirs are to them do you take that son of a Bitches Paper I mean Dawsons times I seen one of them yesterday it is one of the meanest papers on earth and is a disgrace to Hell I never want to see one in my House. but if the Soldiers do go Home to vote they will be able to take care of them Selves and will do so certain. you Say Mrs Crosby was at the Chicago Convention I hearde that long a week since by some of the Boys letters you request me not to tell the doctor no danger of that I care to little for either of them you ought to know that by this time / my minde is made up in regard to that woman you state you are going to Wayne I hope you will have a good time and enjoy your Selfe and that the Children will be mutch pleased for I consider Harter one of my warmest friends and he is a good Union man but a little too mutch Abolition. I hope no one but your Selfe reads my letters they are for no one else to reade but your Selfe remember that Oh deare Malvina how I long to see you time goes by slow and tedious weeks apear of late like months but September will soon be gone I cannot helpe but say to my selfe as the Sun goes down evry day one more day nearer Home we have beautifull weather here of late this country is full of Widows and orphans more or less of them are in our Camp evry day one widow lives close by our Camp the Rebels tooke her husband away in the Army he got loose and returned Home to see his wife the followed him and called him out one night and Shot him deade in his door yarde his wife had to get some women and Bury him evry man here is forced in the Army or killed that is the way the Rebels do they are counted gentlemen among Buternuts I wish all the Wells County Butternuts lived here a while they would be learnt how to resist the draft with ropes around ther necks and one end tiede to a limbe of a tree /

 

enclosed you will finde a little Slip of paper giving a little discription of that fight on the Atchafalaya River the 8^the Indiana Regiment was in the fight with us one man of that Regiment wrote the letter it is a good description of the fight give my love to the little Children and to Ema I have not forgoten that dress if I have any money on hands when I get out of the Service I do not wish for you to understand me to say Give all my love to the Children for that I cannot agree to do I give you more than all of them for there is no ende to it Good by for this time from your most devoted Husband

                                                                                                Samuel J Keller

 

            to Mrs M E Keller                                                                  Sept. 18, 1864

            Bluffton

                        Ind

Letter No 48

SOURCES