Camp near Lancaster Ky. May 18^th 1863

 

Dear Mary

                        I received a letter from you night before last and enclosed was the pen I was was wishing for a very good one it is just the thing I wanted accept my thanks for it. You mentioned that you had been taking a walk in the woods with the children the day you wrote you could not wish me there any more than I should like to have been for I often recall those happy foolish times we used to have sauntering through the woods both before and after we linked our destanys’ together I did not then know what a happy life I was leading not having any real cause to complain I am afraid that I used to cause you & others needles trouble by finding fault with I knew not what. If ever those blessings are granted me again I think I can apre- / tiate them & if we are spared and our children are spared to us we will once more be a happy family & I hope neither of us will ever regret that I turned soldier for a while for if I ever get home I shall consider myself a vetran soldier not from the time I have been in the army but from the amount of servise I have seen in it many soldiers have spent 20 years in the servise and not seen as much actual servise as the 35^th Mass. as you say we are lucky not to be in the army of the Potomac at presant I am sorry that Gen. Hooker was not more successful when he crossed the river but what is the use in feeling bad about it perhaps it is all for the best “it is a long road that has no end” we hear the rebs are collecting in force on the Cumberland river in this state if so we will have some warm work before long all I hope is we may be successful the worst of all seems to be when an army is not able to hold its ground to fall back and / leave our dead and wounded comrads in the hands of the enemy. after the battle at Fredricksburg last winter our dead were striped of their shoes and clothing & when our men went with a flag of truce to bury our dead they found them naked the rebels taking the clothes to wear themselves of course it cant harm the dead but it makes one feel bad to think his comrads should be treated in that way. We are still under marching orders but seem to stick to this place I supose it depends a great deal on the movements of the enemy when & which way we will move I feel quite well again not having had an atack of chills & feaver for some time so if we march I will be better able to stand it. Yesterday I took a walk about the camp the first time I have looked about me since we got on to this ground there is one thing peculiar about here. the beds of all the little brooks that are dry at presant are covered with petrified shells of / various kinds there is any quantity of Indian arrow heads to be picked up about here and good specimans at that. This was a great hunting ground for the indians before the whites settled in this state the old settlers tell some great yarns about the indians they say that seventy or eighty years ago the country abounded in bufilo and deer. I think they must have lived well for I never saw grass grow so thick and fresh like as it does here what is used for pasture here is better than the best fields at home and there is never anything carted on to the land to enrich it the land to grow rich by leting it lay down to grass a year or two some farmers tell me they have raised corn on the same piece of ground for forty years in succession and put no manure on in all that time and did not notice that there was any less crop the last year than there was the first. I guess you will think I like Kentucky pretty well by the way I have cracked it up in my letters I do like the country first rate & if I wanted to turn farmer I would not ask for a better country only for the curse of slavery that seems to be a blight on every thing the whites as a general thing are wealthy very wealthy but then they are as a general thing Lazy and ignorent and then so many / nigers kicking about that it is very unplesant it would seem to me like living with so many pigs Negros are good as any body else no doubt as long as they behave themselves but I like them a good ways off give them their rights and let them keep by themselves and enjoy them. You mentioned that you was begun to clean house I guess that you dont have quite so much scrubing as when I was at home turning everything “topsy turvy” and blacking everything all over but when I get back if I ever do will try and arange things to keep out of the black and smut altogether and try and collect the dollars without blacking my own hands which I think may be quite as profitable as making a darkey of myself I get enough of being dog in the army “but every has his day & I suppose I will have mine if I keep my eyes open. /

 

You have often writen as if brother David was coming home soon when did you hear from him last and did he say anything about returning home when he wrote where was he when you heard from him last I wrote to him long ago but have not heard from him since I hope if he does come home he will have time and the will to come and see me but I am afraid there is no such good luck. there has some in our Reg^t that have sent in for furlough lately they have not been returned yet but probibly there will be some granted. as soon as there is a chance I will apply for one but there is very little hope of geting one so we need not count on it at all if I ever should get one it would be what one might call a God send My love to my “auld mither” to Helen and Charles kiss the children for me and accept some yourself. when you have your photograph taken again please have it alone just the head and shoulders I think that way looks well dont you the boys full length I have a peep at you every day I could not get along without you in my pocket all the time hoping you are well and happy

 

                                                            I Remain Your Loving Husband

I have writen you a long letter because                                  John

you sent me so good a pen

 

                                                                                                [written in another hand]

                                                                                                John Smith

                                                                                                Co. I, 35^th Mass. Inf.

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