Monday morning, Aug 23 24..63

 

dear Ruth and ever dear children as i have not herd from you for some time i will comence a letter to you. i am well that is tolerable well. i am inclined to the jaundices, or yellow janders butt i think i can take as good care of my self as any other soldier. So i think that i can have midling health eaven in this warm disigreeagreeableble climate so you can feel easy on that score O may the lines reach you in good health. we are still in the old peach orchard 15 milds from Vicksburg

 

Oak Ridge Miss

                                    Aug 26..63      Dear wife i am well this morning i have just come off picket gard and have sined the pay rolls and have set down to write a few lines to my dearest friends on earth. well my head aches some but it was caused by sleeping on the ground last night i have not herd from you for some time. what can be the matter be at home some thing or a wife so fare so affectionate would not delay so long. but all will / be well yet. (god knows best) i trus and pray that all is well at home i gave 10 cts for a pint of sweet milk this morning i bought it from a white woman then i sat down on the grass under the shade of a crape murtle tree the hansomest tree or shrub that grows in the front yard of the South. then i took some bread from my haversack and ate the second tin of bread and milk that i have had since i have been in the servis of uncle Sam well it is geting some sickly hear but i am glad that it is geting some cooler. this morning an overcoat was verry comfortable a seldom occurance for this climate. capt Minton is yet liveing but will not live to get home if he would start soon.

 

Aug 27^th..63

            well another day has come, (capt has started for home) i am well i was at a prayr meeting last eavening i go there ofton i expect to go to night and hear the Chaplain preach it is cloce by in our brigade in the 18^th ill they are are a fine reg. there is twice the humanity and 3 times the morality and 5 times the christanity that exists in ours 

 

our sutler (Mr Blakely) has been to New york for goods and has just returned with a large suply but tis but little i buy of him he sells so hy i usuly have bought from other sutlers or stores in town what little i nead. Colonel John M Course our commander has got the star on his shoulder that is he is Brigadier gen comanding our brigade and we will have to be commanded by a blockhead of a major Miller he is up in Iowa now on some fool erant or other he does not know enough to take the reg into battle leting a lone the takeing of it out. (thats so)

 

well i have not much news to write…the 40 ill is seperated from us. we are in the 15^th army corps 4^th brigade and 4^th division under Gen Sherman he was hear a few days since with his family 2 sons and 2 daughters and took dinner with Colonel Course. o my dear Ruth pleas write soon or i will get uneasy and cannot sleep more than half enough and then i i could not be able to drill so well nor make as good an appearance on eavning perade. well Phi and lol you write soon or i will come and see / what is the reason but it is rather mixed yet whether i can get to come or not but i will try my best to start up stream between the 10 and 15 of Sept the first 3 will return the 6^th of Sept maby i can get our furlows made out and ready to be signde and dated by the time they get back. i will be as expidicious as posible for i want to go home and return to my reg be fore cold wether. well if i have the good luck to go this fall i will take so much comfort. yes i will be apt to injoy my sefe well for i have concluded to be contented and happy whare so ere i am or what ever my condition is

 

            O may it pleas god to give you and the children health peace and prosparity while on earth and a pleasent hour in which to die and then a happy exite to that better world of spirits whare pleasure never dies

 

                                                                                    your ever affectionate

                                    husband           untill               death

 

                                                John Griffen Scoville

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