March 26^th..62 Camp Shilo, Harden co, tenn

 

well i will write a little informing you that i am well enough for gard duty but i am not well yet. the lung fever came verry near geting the upper hands of me thanks to god and the lam for his mercy and thanks to Dr. Lake and other kind friends that i am as well as i am

 

the wether is warm hear peach trees ware in full bloom ten days a go the woods is full of wild flours and soldiers O how i sigh and long to see old Montgomery Marion Co Ohio i know it is a good country and i long to be there and i will if i live untill the war is over O Ruth if i had been by your side while i was sick to cool my fevered brow, or even hand me a drink of watter, how much relief it would have been. you know Ruth there is no place like home, when one is sick well i have not herd a word from home since that letter of Feb 20, 21 and 22 when you went to Larue to see a bout movving there. well maby there is letters on the road that i will get i hope so i cincearly pray that i may hear from home soon / direct your letters as follows

                                                                        John G Scoville 6 Iowa reg

                                                                        Camp Shilo Harden Co tennisee /

 

March 27..62 well this is a beautiful morning the boys are eating breakfast i am sitting in our tent writeing i do not want to eat much to day and less to morrow if i do not feel better i have hard pain in my breast i slept 1 or 2 hours last nite while sleeping i dreamed of being at home with you and children i thot we went to see some old friend i was a foot path by some river side i was carying little toty in my arms the woods ware green wild flours was in full bloom Prinny and Sib plucked there little hands full of flours and gave them to toty and me, then i was happy, but i awoke and it was all a dream i was still on my pallet of leaves and blankets suffering pain.

 

we have not been payed off for some time if my health continues to be poor i think when we are next time paid i will go home on a sick furlo well i am so tired writeing i must stop and rest or close excuse me for not writeing more this time. your affectionate

John G Scoville to his wife Ruth Scoville /

 

we expect to move from this place soon we suppose we will have a hard fight to get posecion of the rail road but our men will take the place at the point of the baonet if not serrendered to us sooner. yes i am ready to still the last drop of blood to help whip those rebbels that have concentrated there confound them they gave us 6 days to leave the state. our commander of this brigade Gen Sherman sent back word that he should occupy the time in unloading boats and landing troops we now have eighty thousand well armed men besides 5 or 6 good batrys of splended moveing artilery. they have a large force but they cant half fite they may posibly serrender, but let them rip (we are all oak) now Ruth dispare not keep of good chear i trus the war will soon be ore and then i can return to my ever beloved wife and dear children O that i was there now to share my part of your hard lot. O that i could kiss little Ruth once more how happy i would be but i must be resined to my fate and hope for the best my peace is made god

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