North                                       (Solitude)

            America                                                                                

O i am a wounded soldier

And far from my home

But ere i am much older

May i return safe at home

 

On Shilohs crimson battle field

On Atlantas bloody planes

We fought the rebbels valiently

And many a traitor slain

 

         May 10^th 65

 

Dear Wife and children

i am verry well and hope you are the same i uneasy and sometimes verry unhappy i have been a way from home long and dream of you so ofton and a wake and find my self far, far from home and loved ones there / but thank god i have a good prospect of returning soon and if i am permited to live to get home again i will stay untill earths conflicts are ore O how much trouble you have had, yes, yes dear family but i hope it will forever end and your hearts be light joyous free as the gentle prarie flower you better make calculations to moove west in Sept that is the best time in the year to emigrate that will give us time to get ready and i will have a better chance to look around and buy a small farm i will not be / able to do much hard work this summer anyway but i will find some thing to keep me out of mischief we must trade that house and lot for a good team i will want a team to farm with. does Johns folks live near lee Chapmans what county is it they live in

 

                                                                                                May 11^th 2oclock morning

I will write a little more my doctor says that i will get my papers in 10 days he says it will take that time to get rid of those that ware going to Davenport. let me know the price of calico and other dry goods, and other things general use 

 

as i have no news to write i will fill this out with some hit or miss or foolery

 

What is this life of pain

this brief stay on earth

comparrd with that heavenly gain

And joyous spiritual Birth

 

I wish i ware a child again

Around my Mothers knee

Ide be from grief and pain

from sin ide ever flee

 

O Philander pleas well i dont know what only have pacience. i will be there there before long if not sooner and we will make things get up and bundle Ruth you nedent make fun of this potion of the letter for i dont mean any harm well it is time to give medison O i wish i had good education i would do something thats so        old but J.G. Scoville

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