Sunday Morning March          ..62

 

Dear and affectionate wife and children thanks be to god i received your letter of the 16 of march yesterday O how it relieved my troubled mind to know that you ware all well. i have written 2 or 3 three letters that you had not got when you wrote the last one of the 16 O how you must have suffered with the sick headache it was caused by getting wet and over doing. O Ruth pleas try to avoid such over exertions i supose you could not help it verry well but pleas try to save your health for it is a good blessing. i am some better this blessed Sabbath morning i will be apt to get well well sooner by geting that kind letter yesterday. i got it about 4 oclock PM i had been all day washing 2 shirts one pr drawers 2 pr socks, so you can immagin how weak i am i was just done and washing my hands when sarg kennedy handed me aletter. with much joy, and gratitude to god i red it. it done my sole and boddy both so much good to hear from loved ones at home. i received those prety verses i ofton look at them, have done me good many an lonely hour. Lol i also got that prety ribbon it is my mark in my / little testament in which i read almost daily there i find concolation and joy, peace, hope, and life ever lasting, yes how plain the road to joys on hy is marked out, what is more chearing than the pleasent thought of our troubles being ore on earth and long sweet eternity if prepaired for death, which is everry rational persons duty. i am stil trying to live a cristian life, and thanks to Jesus i think there is a crown in glory for me pray for me continue in the lord and he will with hold no good thing from you. well i am all most tierd out. the company is out on general inspection as it is the last Sunday of the month i must lie down soon and rest our band has got to us they have been home on furlo they are playing most deliteful now, out on our perade ground near our tents. day before yesterday i went to the 7^th Iowa reg that is what is left of them they are campt near the river 5 milds from hear i went to see the Washington co boys i saw Sam Logan and some other old acquaintances lewis had gone home Jim Eliot had gone to see some other reg near by so i did not see him the 7 reg has been to three battles, and badly cut to peaces / they was at the takeing of Ft donilson whare our men shoed so much heroick bravery wall did you get a paper St Louis demmocrat i sent some to you and would sent more but we left Syracuse Mo a bout time i commenced sending we left there March 6^th left St Louis the 9 left Cairo at the mouth of the Ohio 11^th. we landed here the 17^th it is caled Pittsburg landing there is 2 or 3 old bildings at the landing we dug lots of side hill roads up a bluff 150 ft high it will become a noted point and landing place the report is that Island No ten is taken and 40 thousand prisioners and old Boyragard taken prisioner they fit some but our men had them surrounded for several days and they had to give up the island is situated in the Misissippi river 90 milds blo cairo. two men from the rebbel camp came to us yesterday and gave them selves up they say the rebbels are about 50 thousand at Pardie and some other little town near by it is 20 milds from hear they think that they will stand us afite they croled past there picket gard on there hands and knese they want to help fite on our side but they will be closely wached we are about 90 thousand strong now and expect reinforcements so i think / they had better give it up for a bad job you sayed it was spring so it is March 30 well i gues Apr and May is to come before all the spring are past. well it is just this way if i get verry sick, when we are paid off again i will come home on a sick furlo and if i get my health i will stay untill the war is over i think the war will not last much longer and if i should get a discharge i would not get my bounty of $100. the clark Co boys are send some of there blankets and over coats and some of them are sending there dress coats home maby i will send a box of things to Larue and maby i can contrive to get them hauled and keep them with me but i will not nead them through the warm weather now dear Ruth write ofton i would write some prety verces that is in my little hymn book that our Chaplain gave me but i have not space left now i will featch it home and then you can help me sing them. Sam Chap i think went home from tiptton Mo 2 or 3 months since O children be kind to your dear Mother yes be kind to all you chance to mete in village school or crouded street your war broken soldier will return if he lives if not he will meet you in heaven. yours forever                             John G Scoville to R S and children

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