Scottsborough

Ala Feb 11..64

 

Dear companion i am well i have just red your letter of the 4^th and i am glad to hear from you…but it greives me so to hear of your sickness and trouble O how can i bear to remain away from those i love so much…if i could but come to your relief yes i could so willingly asist you to take care of our dear little suffering children…but alas i cannot come soon (no) and it seams to make my heart blead to know that my dear Sibby and little toty must suffer so much and me so far from them. would to god i could be with you this night / i was on picket gard last night and did not sleep much O how ofton my thoughts ware directed to my dear family while sitting neath the shaddow of some large friendly tree or while i am in our little cottage of logs but i thank my dear lord that eaven our lives are yet spaired yes how merciful he has been to poor me eaven me a poor soldier away from friends…home…and dont know whether he will ever see home and its happy scenes or his bones bleach in some southern clime or not…i feel as if i will one day be from sorrow free yes but in heaven…this earth is full of suffering scenes 

 

now dear Ruth pleas dont let my abcence trouble you for i will come to you as soon as i can the reg is going to Iowa to recruit and we are all to have furloes to our several native states…they promised that we should go up north long ago, but owing to the business and other reasons we will not start as soon as we expected but they are bound to let us go before long yes…well i would write page after page but what of that my dear do you have enougf to eat do you have plenty clothing O i have been so cruel so hard harted so unreasonable to a dear wife…pleas forgive forgive me and pray for me / you have my prayrs and best wishes…now Ruth i have lerned more since i have been in the army than i did lern in all the rest of my life of human nature, and millitary afairs yes and i have lerned several things that i will tell you when i come home…if my life is spaired this old 6^th Iowa is one of the vetren regments it is truly as good as any other in the united States Servis the Chapman boys are well in the 40 Ill

 

O do all you can to comfort the children and christ will reward you hear on earth and in heaven

                                                                                                                        J. G. S.

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