Syracuse Mo Feb 15 1862

 

            this is a cold morning for this climate. thre has but little snow this winter in the portions of the state whare we have been we left Jefferson City Oct 7, went to this place, thence to Tiptton then to warsaw then to Springfield then back to Sedalia then to Lamien crossing, then to tiptton then to Syracuse again whare we are now and a Secesh hole at that. well i donot know what to write next there is 4 comp of us hear and 5 are at tiptton those a tiptton one company of them has got mules to ride now they are scouring the country far and near they fech lots of rebbels in daily / well the 6 Iowa is just as good a reg as any you can serve in (that is of infantry) Colonel McDowel is bound to make them haul and send them from the happy land of canan

 

well Philander Smith Scoville you must learn to write as fast as you can so you can beat your pap reading and speling and arithmatic

 

Feb 16 well i was on gard last nite the gard house is down some 3 hundred yards from our quarters well i went from the gard house over to our tent to sleep 2 hours when i arived to the tent door an old secesh cow had / puled the sugar sack out of the tent and was eating it she ate 50 lbs i kicked the sack in the tent took the ax and went to the gard and chopt a little wood to pass the time away

 

well i am just now seated by a nice fire in a nice room writeing on a stand it seams funny to write this way Ruth dear ruth i was reading a novel last night excuse me for for that it was a story of an old bachalar find a sweet little babe one year old on the wild prarie 16 milds from any settlement he named it Mirtle a pretty name well i thought of my little toty and bedewed the book with tears of affection /

 

Lol i Aaron Johnson is well he is at tiptton he looks well marching in the band he is tall so graceful so hansom so brave so kind harted i will ask him a bout the [?] some time thats so

 

Prinny dear child i will fech you a ring if i live and do not loose it. well Silvy you sweet child of a lady i will fech something to you to O children take the good advice of kind mother she knows best i remember well the early tuition of a dear mother us soldiers all owe our kind Mothers for infantile instruction

may god bless you all             write ofton

                        John G Scoville

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