Ft Smith Ark March the 31^st 1865

 

                        Dear Father Mother and sisters it is with pleasure that I take my pen this evening to pen you a short letter I am well at this time and I hope these lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing I have very little news as it has been but a short time since I wrote you but I thought I would write and let you know how I was getting along we have nice warm weather here at this time the Peach has been in Bloom for about a week and the gardens look gay with flowers and vegetables and I anticipate a good time here this summer and I musty tell you that we have a garden and we have potatoes planted and lettuce and radishes and mustard &c &c But I have not heard from Fred yet but I hope he is at home for his time is out and Jasper wrote to me that he would be mustered out the first of April and that is now here / I wrote to him that I wished him to go home and stay with you this summer but I do not know whether he will do so or not and now I must tell you that the paymaster is here and that we will be paid off in a few days we signed the pay rolls to day and expect to be paid tomorrow or next day it is useless for me to write war news as you them there soon than we do here or at least as soon but I wish you would tell me whether the Gospel Herald is still going on or not as I have received none for the last month I renewed my subscription for six month as my time was out the first of April also tell me whether there is a paper printed in Afton what it is called and who edits it &c &c

 

times here are quiet but it is hard to tell how long they will remain so but I think we will soon have peace and then we will have a happy time and now Mother dear I wish I could be at home to take dinner with you next Sunday / for I believe you would have me a real good dinner Linkam Coffee and cream butter Eggs Potatoes and other things too tedious to mention (as the advertisements say)

 

but I believe I can think of nothing els so I will close for the present hoping soon to hear from you I remain as ever your affectionate Son And Brother

                                                            John Reed Co B 18^th Iowa inft

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