Syracuse Feb 10..62

 

Dear wife and children i am well yes verry well for which i am verry thankful. i cincearly hope these lines will reach you in good health the best of injoyment of life is good health. maby i prise health too hy but it is a good thing to have well i was cooking last week so i did not write much but i will try to make it up this week we was at this place last fall before we went to Springfield it is a cesesh place but a nice little town. there is but 4 companys of us hear the remainder of the reg is at tiptton 5 milds from hear some say that we will go to kentucky next week but if we do all the fighting will be over before we get there my ink is frozen so i dont know whether you can read it or not well i ges maby you can / well Stark is back this week we live well we have a woman to bake warm bisket for us every meal we make flour gravey to put on them we have beans, beef, rice, coffe, sugar, ham, homeny, and plenty of it we draw more clothes than we can ware but we drawed hats and new frock coats fine blew cloth nicely trimed with blew and nice eagle buttons our hats are trimed with (fether, bugal, buttons, and eagle)

 

this is monday a beautiful day it is warm to day but it has been tolerably cold last week old farther Grey has gone home to clark co Iowa

 

well i wish that i could get a pass to go to Old Montgomery Marion Co Ohio i think that i could find some boddy there to kiss yes and some boddy to fetch watter for, and chop wood well we have just been drilling batalion i like it verry much but i woud like to be at home yes at home wife and children / Ruth and Laura and Phi write to me ofton pray for me i want to be a soldier of  wright all the remainder of my days. Ruth trust to god and his gide and all will be well on earth yes and in heaven you have been a kind wife and a good kind mother you now are a soldiers wife and he in a far land in the defence of his dear country in the sosiety of swaring ruf soldiers but i use all the influance i can to leave there sins and look to crist our bible class prospers well we have not got our note books yet we may get them next week I will send you some money in this letter use it as you can for the good of the family May god bless you all pap i would like to hear from you the [?] Iowa reg has gone to Boonville some has gone home well i must close yours forever               John G Scoville /

 

                        Syracuse Feb 12..62

            Well i will write some composition

1

Have you forgot our childhood time

No name for care we knew

When hope ore lifes untrodden way

The morning sunlite threw

2

Have you forgot how lingering slow

Near meadow path and stile

Controling boyhoods bashful fear

I wated for your smile

3

Have you forgot the happyer hours

Uneaquel was our art

When i wreathed flours around your head

you flours around my heart

4

Have you forgot the blissfull days

By sunny slope and stream

When carless of all other joys

We dreamed our loves young dreams /

5

Have you forgot i would forget

Those days of darker hew

Intruding doubt and jealous fear

And hopes grow faint and few

6

We parted—But whearfore thus

That time of grief recall

Wisdom would rather turn our hearts

Whare no such war befall

7

Then let us turn whare hope still gives

Nor linger with the past

In present work to futer look

Our home is nearing fast

8

When faith has found fruition then

Then only is our rest

Our rest of peace and joy and love

Unending with the blest

                        a Soldier          JGS

 

this is a beautiful morning i took a walk out in the adjacent grove the birds ware singing i was happy / yes happy for a soldier but i would be far if i could hear birds sing in Old Montgomery whare i spent prime of my life (and a part of it foolishly to) but my young days is past. but why not be chearful and innicently gay. colonel Adams is being discharged he has all most killed himself with whiskey and his poor wife and children grieveing over it O that awful sin of intemperance it makes my heart ache to see young promising soldiers lay wallowing in the gard house nite after night but the curs will on there own heads. wel ther was two little girls at the tent door to sell peach pies while i was writeing they spoke so plesently. they ware about Prinnies and Silvys size i wish i could see the little children to night but i cannot see you untill the war is over unless i got sick and unable for duty / for a while and then i could get a discharge be of good chear dear Ruth many is the fervent prayer we offered up in the behalf of wife and children O may it pleas god for us to meet on earth again if not meet me in that better land whare all our troubles will be ore                       write soon

            John G Scoville to Ruth and children            Syracuse Feb 12..62

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