Syracuse March 5..62 Mo

 

Dear and much loved family i write a few lines to inform you that i am well yes well in good health trusting that these lines will reach you injoying the same blessing of god i wrote to you yesterday after i put the letter in the office we had orders to move we will be apt to start today for St Louis and thence down the old mississipy (but we do not know yet whether we will go down the river or not for certin) but we will move some whare to day or tomorrow we are just wateing for the Mo 6 reg to come from Lamien crossing we dare not leave this post untill some of our men is hear to gard the depot and the railroad and some union stores and a few union family that would suffer if the post was vacated for it is a rebbel town by majority and a rebble settlement all around for milds with hear and thare a nice union family that would like to go to some free state if they could get any thing / for there land we help some slaves to run a way from their masters we secreted one man 19 yrs of age in our tent for three days and then gave him some cloths and 25 cts each our lietenant gave him $1.00 then we sent a gard with him and one other slave and started them to Iowa. we also hept a negro girl a slave in one of our tents over nite concield from her cruel master then before it was lite the teamsters drove to the tent door she got in the wagon we coverd her with hay so them would it was just some hay to feed with he drove down to tiptton whare she was safe for union soil we advise them to leve when ever we can the negrous gives us much information and of a good kind (now thats so) may god bless the abused and oppresed and suffering blacks of our land i feel for them i would do lots for them if i could but our hands are tied we dare not go verry far from our camp some times we go in squads of 10 or 15 men and fech in some some prisioners put them in the gard house next day make them take the oath / and give bonds for there good behavior some $500 others $1500 dollars well it is the middle of the afternoon and we are there at Syracuse we may stay hear all night yet but the mules are harnest to haul our things to the cars that is a short job for it is but 3 hundred yds

 

            Ruth you nead not put (Lafayett Park) on your letters

 

            Mo St Louis 6^th reg Iowa vol comp F John G Scoville is enough if the words are placed rite. you see i did not place them rite well i wish i could get word from that money before we leave hear for if you do not get it i could call it at this office and none other. maby you will get it inquare at all the nearest express offices make them give it to you with out more pay for i pre paid the express $1,50 cts—wel i have not time to write more now i will rite from some other place as soon as we get stopt and know what we will are going to do

                        yours forever   John G Scoville

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