Springfield Dec 15^th 1862

 

                                                                                                Dear Father and Mother

                                                                                                I received your kind letter of the sixth last friday morning and was received with the dearest affection as they awlways are & received a semi weekly yesterday from Charles dated the 9^th The papers come right through with delay now and when they are directed to Box 74 they will always stop here and not go on to the regiment. It is just three months and five days since I have been able to do duty. I think that I have had considerable play spell I think that if I gain as fast for the next three months to come as I have last month gone by I can stay here three months longer and be about the same /

 

I suppose that you have heard about as much about the fight of Perry Grove as we have here. There was a dispatch received yesterday by Leut Stevens of the 20^th reg^t Who is stoping here at present attending to some business Stating that the 20^th regiment fought like vetrans and got cut up awfully. Lieut Col Bertram wounded Adjt Morris wounded Capt    M^cDermot of Co C Killed

“          Webber           “  K     “

“          Gillott             “  D     Wounded

two Color Bearers were killed and then left M^cDermot then taking the flag he being the third who fell with the flag in his hands. The regiment went into the field four hundred strong and all they could muster the day after battle was one hundred and fifty There are five Paroled / Prisnors here now who straggled away from the regiment on their down there and got picked up by the secsh and paroled I dont know as this will be any news to you but I thought I would put it in for it would help to fill up. when I get some more direct news right from our own company some thing that I can depend on as being the truth I will write you again. We have had very fine weather so far this fall or winter just as you have a mind to call it. here it does not seem to me as much like being the month of December It is a great deal more like our spring weather in Wisconsin I think they have very fine weather here in the state of (Misery) Missouri take it the year round they People of this state leave their stock out to grave and shirk for themselves the year round and they keep in about as / good order as our stock is that stabled and foddered nine months in the year up in Wisconsin.

 

I think that your plan for getting or or trying to a furlough for me is a good one. if you succed in carrying it in to perfection when you get an answer from Lieut Ferguson please forward it to me and let know his opinion of the subject. Uncl Mel will not have far to write to Col Pinkney for he started home on a furlough last week. And probably he will get a chance to see him and have a talk with him. You spoke in your letter about when I thought I would get our pay. I dont think that we will get our pay before the middle of of next month and then we will of three or four months pay at once. They say that the reason of our regt getting cut up so was that they took a rebel battery and held it five hours and then had to give up at the point of the Bayonet of the rebels I dont know but this is old news to you. This is all I have to say this time Give my love to all enquiring Answer soon Jim Piercy sends his best respects to all of you

I remain your affectionate Son

(Excuse all errors)                   S. Strong

(and Bad spelling)

 

write soon How does all the neighbors get along now days

SOURCES