Missouri

Camp Seigel sept 6^th 1862

 

Dear Father & Mother

            I now sit down in the cool shade to let you know that I am a live and well and all of the other boys also. We left Benton Barrecks last Friday morning and marched down to the Pacific or St Louis & Rolla Rail Road & got a board of some open wood cars and the soft side of a pine board for seat and rode about one Hundred & twenty five miles. We got to the end of our journey which was the big city of Rolla about nine Oclock and pitched our tents there for the night & struck tents again the next morning a bout eight & marched between three & four miles alittle south west of Rolla and there is where we / are at present and the d—l onley knows where we may be in a week hence. I dont think that we shall stay here over a week at the fartherest. the next move we make will be toward springfield which is about one hundred & thirty mile distant. I suppose that we will have to take shanks horses for this. You can just feell a little for me while you are at home a taking your comfort and myself off here away from home in such a heathenish country as this is. this is one of greatest countrys that I or any body else ever saw. It is nothing but one grand mess off rocks and stones a going from St Louis to Rolla we went through two tunnells a bout a quarter of a mile through and the rest of the way it was nothing but crooks and rocks from ten to one hundred feet high /

 

Rolla is the termination of the Pacifice R.R. it is a barge depot for military stores. it is the plase where the stores are forwarded from by teames there is no end to the mules and horses in this part of the country. the inhabitants in this part are a great looking set I should think that they were not civilized I have not seen a frame house since I left St Louis. They are the roughest of all rough log shanties. The roughefest part of wisconsin is a paradise to this. The camp where we are now stationed is on a hill that Seigle retreated to at the to at the battle of Springfield a bout a year ago. there is several small springs at the foot which afordes us plenty off good water right from the Rocks /

 

This morning I came off from guard I was on all last night. It was a wet drizzley nasty night after I came off I went down and had a good wash the first one I have had in about three days. I received last Wednesday paper from Chas last night. tell him that I would like to hear from him. I sent you two or three st Louis papers last week. Our Company is said to be the best Company and the best drilled in the regt. I think that you might write often I have not heard from you only once since I left you can direct your letters S. Strong Co G. 20 Regt W.V. Rolla Mo. via St Louis this about all I have to write this time. I am in the best health and all of the rest of the boys on hard Bread Pork a Coffee

SOURCES