1 page             Good morning family

 

Apr 9^th Keokuk Iowa

 

Dear Ruth and children i am well thank god and pray these lines will find you the same i hapyly received your letter last eavening with that sweet little flower and 3 stamps and 1 dollar in it. i kised the tinny little dear flower once for each one of you and put it in my hymbook O i am coming home soon dear family with my pockets well filled and my discharge not in a tin box as was that /

 

2 page (i got it jumbled up)

of the brother of the 2 sisters that went down to the sea shore to see the sun rise on the watter but safe in my blouse pocket next to my happy hearte and i think there will be some other happy and thankful hearts then thank god and i trust will remain for the remainder of life there was an order came hear the other day from the secretary of war to discharge all soldiers at all Hospitals that was not under medical treatement immediately and myself is one of that stripe 

 

3 page

they have commenced makeing out the papers now. it will take 2 or 3 weeks maby we will have to go up to Davenport and maby not Shermans army is on there way home though i expect you get all the war news sooner than we do i will write again in a few days and then i can tell more about how soon i will can start home dear home how i long to be there and its joys to share yes and prepair for that home in heaven sweet heaven /

 

4^th pt

land of the blest well i must finish this letter and put it in the office and go and get some writeing material and some tobacco that is fit to use for i have been useing dride up musty captured Georga for a long time yes and i can get a shirt and drawers washed Phy are you choping wood yet i expect you can beat me choping now since the carless rebs popt a chunk of lead in my right shoulder well i know i popt over lots of them.

                                                                                                yours forever J.G.S.

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