Benton Barracks Mo                                                               June the 28 A. D. 1862

 

                        My Dear wife it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to in forme you that I am well and hartey and I truley hope when those fiew lins comes to hand they will finde you and the children well and doing well and I truley hope it will not be long untill I will see you and the children

 

Rittey Ann you seem to think strang that I donte com home to see you and the children I can tell you the cause of it I hav not bin sick long a nuff to get a sick fur low the boys that has com home and tha stade untill thare fur low run out and som of them got them rnewed and others did not and if tha dont get back aganst the first Day of July tha will not get thare pay and tha will be marked as disarters and treeted as such send word to W.m.Colyer that he had better com to the rigment as soon as he can get hear I cannot tell when I will com home I hav tride to get to com home but I can not tell you when I can come after wee get our pay i am agoing to try to com to see you and / the children O you dont now how bad I want to see you and the children I wold like to be with you to talk with you I cold tell you agrate many things that has hapend since I saw you I hav seen agrate maney trubels and triels since I left you I hav not for got you nor the children nor I never expect to while I live in this wirld I want you to get to do the best you can and if I never see never you eny more I want us to liv as wee wold wish when wee com to die I want us to try to so that wee can meete each other in heven where wee will never hav to parte wee will not hav to part thare to go to ware withe men now wee will hav peece and joy forever and forever I hav not heard eney thing from our boys since that was taken prisners since I wrote to you. I wrote last weeke to father and to Isaac Bridges and one to you Elec king fetched a letter for mee that you wrote which I was glad to hear from you and was glad to hear that you was all well and a doing as well as you was wee think that when the ritch mon fite goes oaf If wee gane it wee will / get to com home before vary long but If we get whipet wee will hav to stay in the searves untill our three years is out and by that time the peopel will be nearley all kild oaf but I wold think vary strang to hear of the rebels awhipping us for my part I am not onease a bout that if we hav good luck I think I will be at home this fall to stay with you and the children

 

tell Oncel greeneberg and aunt that I send my best respects to them tell them that Elec is well and that him and B. F wyat went down to Jefferson Barracks to see W. m hampshire tha will bring him up hear if he is so that he can be moved now I must com to aclose so now more at this time only remans yours truley un till deth

 

John W Sanders to                                          I will send the

                                                                        children som littel

Rittey Ann Sanders                                         books by male and i

            and the                                                want you to rite soon

Children                                                          as you get this letter

                                                                        I will send a pretey to the children

SOURCES