Well i am siting at my window in the fourth story of the Estes house whare i have an extencive vew of the Ill shore on the other side of old Mississippi the hills and trees are beautifly green and seem to say come over and injoy beauty and comfort but my thoughts extend far beyond those scenes to a little cotage on the bank of Scioto in the old state of Ohio whare lives my dear family that have four long lonly years of grief and sorrow and are now looking for my return ear long. O may they be not disapointed this is a beautiful spring morning and i know the birds are singing to you from the forest trees. i wish you ware as happy as they. O i want to live to see you joyous and gay and happy as the butterfly and lite of the prarie [faded] then we will be as we ought and injoy each others love is not that so dear wife J S but 

 

While toiling through this world of sin lets prepair for selestual joys on the other side of deaths river these earthly pleasures are not selestual nor divine O may god help us to fit our soles for that beautiful mansion of rest whare the sun is ever bright, whare there is no clouded night whare we will be happy ever more on that blessed peaceful shore

 

O when from sin and sorrow freed

In heaven to spend eternity

Well sing sweet songs of estesee

And will not that be harmoney

 

i wish i ware a better christian and a better man well i know you pray for me i will write more in the morning (yes)

 

tis eavening and the sun is low

in grandure ore the western hills

and shoes that god hath power belo

to do his soven sovern will /

 

the Doctor examined me today and promised i should be the first one of the disabled vetrans to be discharged he says they are wateing for orders ever hour to discharge the class that i am in the state agent says i will get a pencion now i dont know what to write that will be interesting to you but i have got on a wrighting spree and cant stop so i write some every day i want to be with my family i know that i will be happy in doing my duty to my family that has been strugling for so many years of lonelyness but may our future days be crowned with comfort and happyness yes may our path be ever bright as long as life shall last

                                                                                                more in the morning

 

May 14, Sunday morning

I will finish this letter but i do not know what to fill it up with now if i knew when i will start for home i would / let you know [faded]

 

before long but i will not know more than 24 hours before i start and therefore it will be of no use to write well i must try to happy but O i wish i was at home then I would be happy indeed Prinny i will [faded] something for you and the rest did Phy get mad because i did not send him that gun well i will make it all right when i come home. toty i want you to sing some for me when i come. now see how prety you can kiss Mother for me Sibby i have got some sea shells for you and some for all the rest

 

O life tis dreary in this far off land but thank god i will not have to hear the dredful roar of battle fields nor the long roll to fall in nor the shrill bugle notes to forward march, no, no, your affectionate J G Scoville

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