Syracuse 24 Feb 62 Mo

 

            Dear family i am well at present hopeing you the same. this is monday eavening 9 oclock. i am at a privat house giving medison to one of our brother soldier he is verry bad with (bilious intermittant fever) i was with him half of last nite our regamental physition wants me to stay with him all nite to nite to see him through the cared for so i will write to Ruth and children for it is those lovd ones that i am thinking of most wall who has abetter rite to. rite well the family heare are nise union folks the old lady talks religion so i cant half write but she will soon be to bed and some little children with her and then maby i can think of some thing to write. well the ballance of the reg at tiptton selibrated Washingtons birth day yesterday i suppose they had a grand time of it they raised a huge pole and lieu Cloon and others spoke magnifficently then the band mad the place glad with their beautiful and glorous notes of praise well my pacient is sleeping i think he is better last night a negro lad of 19 yrs came to us from near Boonville he left his old sesesh master and his mother and all the rest for sweet liberty he stradeled a pony and rode nearly all nite came to our tent we conculted each other then turned the pony loose to go back to the old hellion (if i may use the term) then took him in our tent cold hungry / ragged down harted but his eyes are gay this morning he ate no breakfast but helpt get it ready, washed up the dishes got dinner he ate some at dinner he is smart and inteligent O Ruth it would make you cry for the poor african race to hear him relate of carien his sofferings sceins of                                              Slavery

 

well it is twelve oclock the wind blows clear and shrill. tomorrow we move our tents 3 or 4 hund yds Co Mc daniel is coming to see us he has been home at [?] so we must moove and fix up Now dear fat nise Tol do you learn fast? Blackeyed Phy do you learn to write and chop? Prinny my dear do you sew and read and write? Syb, dear Syb do you learn mischief or books? Tatyalooty my cub do you lern to help ma?

 

Ruth / lern / them / to / love / crist / as / soon / they / are / old / enough / yes / i / know/ you will

 

tis to the mother the son, the daughter owes the debt of gratitude for their blessed early tuition yes tis there dear ma thus that instills the first principes of charictar either good or bad. yes dearist thou knowest it

 

Would to god i could do a farthers part for my dear children that i have so shameffuly ill treated by neglect by absenting my self from their dear presents O if i am spaired to se their sweet forms a gain wat can sever nout but death 

 

2 oclock i will write a little more and then lay down to sleep an hour or two may these lines find you in good health our negro will cook for us and such like untill he gets to [?] whare he can injoy freedoms native air i washed yesterday 12 pieacs 5 cts each and my own cloths and done a soldiers duty other wise i have tub line wash board 12 close pins. wont i make money that is if i have my health (i had better put that in) for health is the injoyment of life that so those little children sleep sweetly in a bed be hind my chair allmost the first chair i have sat in since i left Oceola

 

could i but know that my dear ones ware sleeping as sweetly this nite may god protect them and keep them from vice and sin O children be kind and affectionate to Mother She is kind to you She does more than a mothers part O try to soth her troubled heart and warm affection will glow from every heart if each does their part yes youl have a fathers prais through life short days and have the blesings of the lord shed abrad with sweet acrd in relms a bove to sing his love then happy be through eternity in peaceful rest forever blest in that eadon of love far above whare angels / forever blesst in peaceful rest, wall i must close this letter and try to get a little sleep but maby when i lay down i cannot sleep i have not slept more than 3 hours each nite on an averige since i left Oceola

 

give me your prairs write to me give me good advice be as contented as you can maby the wheals of time and cars will bring me to side and to the land of pilgrems pride, and let freedom                                               ring

 

i have not herd whether you got that 25 dollars or not i have had no letters lately i have written several since i got your last one well maby i will get a letter once in a while for SSS writes to me some Lavinia wrote to me last fall give my respects to pap Jane riggle and all the rest good reasonable people for soldiers are reasonable men and will not send their respects to but reasonable folks maby i will fech home a span of plump mules for Phy to play with if i do Phy you must not get mad at them like you did at old Jim at Freds well maby i wont fech them for fear

 

I remain your affectionate husband

untill deth

      John G Scoville

            to his dear wiffe                      that

            sweet little flour of a Ruth

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