East Point Ga Sept 12^th..64

 

Dear wife and children it has been a long time since i have had any chance to write or send letters to you and i expect you think hard of me but this is the first chance of sending mail for a long time I am well yet thank god and hope these lines may find you all well. we have finely went into camp to rest the summer campaign has been a long and hard one but it is now over and we will have a little rest we took Atlanta Sept 3^rd we followed them about 25 milds skirmishing with them the most of the time then came back with in 5 milds of Atlanta whare we now are 

 

i have been in 3 hard battles since i came back from Nashville and been skirmishing with the enemy nearly half of the time i cincearly believe that there has at least 100 bullets come within 1 foot of me and a large peace of a shell passed between my legs and i am un hurt yet have i not escaped well, for which i am verry thankful i have not herd from you for a long time O how bad i want to hear from home i had a letter from John S Williams the other day. he was well he said he received my likeness. now Ruth pleas write ofton and i will try to do the same there is talk of furlowes being given this fall if so i will get one and come home 

 

now i did not exactly understand part of the last letter that i got from you well i dont mean to mind much a bout it for i mean to bary the past in oblivion and look to the forward for happyness trying to do my duty yes O Ruth i want to live so when this life is ore that my sole will live whare trouble and sorrow never comes yes whare the tree of life is blooming whare sin never comes whare it is eternal day whare pleasure never dies i wish an intrest in your prayrs that i may prove faithful to the end O may i be so happy as to return safe to my dear little family (wont i be thankful) 

 

to John and Laura i have not written to you well the reason is that we have been so situated the most of the time that we could not send mail away but as we are now in camp i will have a better chance to write i have not herd whether you mooved to Mo or not and if you have not gone i dont think you had best go for a while yet there is so much trouble there yet i advised Ruth not to go some time a go write to me ofton

 

Ruth i sent 25 dollars by express to you when i left Nashville did you get it Miles Chapman is dead he was wounded in one leg and it was amputated he died in the operation

                                                                                                John G Scoville

to his family

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