Grand Junction Tennisee                                                                               

Feb 24^th..63

 

Dear and affectionate companion and children, i am well and cincearly hope these few lines will find you all in good health. O Ruth it was with much joy that i herd from you once more. i received your letter of the 12 yesterday i was on gard and could not anser it untill now o i was verry unhappy and looked in vain for a letter from loved ones at home, but thank the lord he has spaired all our lives and blest us with good health.

  

          Sunday morning March 1^st..63 i am well and pray you are the same. i will try to finish my letter today / we have had so much drilling and scouting and inspections and revews that i not time to do much for my self untill to day. O if i was with you i could tell all lots better than i can do it by writeing there is rumers that Vixburg is being vacuated if it is true we will not get to help take the place i think it will be another Corinth stampead. well if we get the town with out fighting for it i am intirely willing. we have a little fighting every week with the girilles that this country is full off, but we have not lost many men yet but we have killed and taken lots of them prisioners we ofton have to get up / at midnites dark hour and form the line of battle then take a trip of 8 or 10 milds put a band of girilees to flite or take them prisioners then for the smoke houses and hen roosts fill our canteens with molasses our haver sacks with sugar or dried peaches or sweet potatoes then bayonet a lot of fat hogs some prefer smoaked hams i got an old gobler the last time we ware out and some sweet potatoes and part of a nice shoat. i had a good feast, but if my Ruth had cooked it how much better it would have been now Ruth pleas dont think that we steal no we just jayhalk from the rebbels thats all pleas send me some stamps i have to / give 5 cts apeas for all that i get from our sutler i can get invelops and paper reasonable that letter to capt Minton has not come yet. you wanted to know our generals name well we was under Gen Sherman a long time he went to take command of the troops to go down the river to Vicksburg so we was put under Gen Denver. we are in Gen McDowels Brigade and Course is our colonel

 

lol i will write that letter to you and John before long Phi Prinny Sibby and toty be good children your farther will surely come to you if his life is spaired, and dear Ruth o that i was by your side well keep up good spirits, yours

            for life John Scoville

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