Keokuk

Sunday,June,4^th 65

 

Dear wife and children

i am well except my eyes and they are geting better afew days ago i could not see to read or write i was all most blind 4 or 5 days i cant go whare the sun is shineing yet but they aregetting well sloly O may these lines reach you in good health the best of all earthly blessings now Ruth i am lonesomer than ever since i am confined to this dark room with no company but 6 others who are aflicted with sore eyes allso we my must be a pitiful looking set of boys / though we happen to be all married men. well i have no news to write so i am at a lossto knowwhat to write thedoctor says i must not read or write but i think he will not catch me writeing this for he will not be in untill again morning as soon as my eyes are well enoughf so i cn bare the sun lite i will have a discharge or have a big fuss with the Doctor in charge. we have sent a petition with over 2 hundred names to it to Washington to war department stateing how we are long being kept hear contrary to orders maby it will do some good 

 

i was out and took a walk last eavening after sundown O howpleasent the front yards and flower gardenslooked O how my mind wandered back to scenes of gone by days and happy hours sweetly spent at home when our hearts ware free from sorrow and we knew no pain Ruth those hours wellsee again yes and deaper,brighter, sweeter, stronger,those joys will be and lasting as eternity if we only live to god while traviling through this thorny road O lets improve the blessings given and make our home at last in heaven

 

Monday June 5, 65

dear family my eyes are still mending sloly some days i can see tolerable well and maby the next day i can not see much nor bare the lite at all but i think they will get well in 10 days or 2 weeksand maby sooner i cant tell they mitenever be well but gods will be done and all is rite O i want to be at home and i will be if my life is spaired as soon as i can get my business fixed up rite yes the vetran regments are not being discharged yet and that is the reason that us vetrans are kept hear write soon J. G. Scoville

 

[margins]

 

ill finish tomorrow if i can see

excuse this poor letter

for i cannot half see

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