Memphis Aug 18^th..62…Dear wife and children

 

i am well hopeing these lines will reach you the same. we had general revew today maby we will go some place before long well i am tierd of this place but we mite get in another one i have sent 2 or 3 letters since i received thos from you and lol, those that contained the stamps for which i am verry thankful and also thankful for the good advice and instruction that you of times send to poor me well do hardly know what to write one thing i know that i am tierd of boiling beef and beans for dinner we have had beens for dinner generly ever since we ware at camp warren Burlington yes (beans) and rice for supper. well i cannot complain much as to our liveing but our disipline is most to strict it is some like that old Bell you knew he was so strate that he leaned back some, but tis nessesary to have strict orders and carry them out to keep a reg up. well i am geting verry tierd of the army but i suppose that i will honorable discharge. well i think that the war will come to a close this fall yes by christmas at the farthest. well i feel like going home and settleing down and liveing a retiered and happy life. well an honest and sober life any how we have but one life to live, and one death to die O let us live as useful as we can and live to god and reap the reward of our labour yes the scenes that awate us on the other side of the river whare the tree of life is blooming there is rest for the weary O i want to see you all so bad but i am hear at Memphis and you at Larue but thanks to god i can write to you and that is some comfort to me /

 

we use this kind of paper be cause it costs us nothing. the health of the reg is good there is but 2 or 3 sick in our comp it is not as hot as it was last week

 

there is 5 or 6 hundred negroes working on the brest works near our camp they are earth works 12 ft high and a wide deap dich on the out side this is to shelter us from the enemy. well i will tell you about such things when i get home if i ever do and i will if god spairs my life yes i expect to get home (or at least get whare my Ruth and sweet children is)

 

O if i was only there now but i must try and be reconsiled to my lot

 

Ruth write to me ofton and write all tis hard dearist that we are so far apart and so long but all will be well now Ruth and Laura write to me in plain coserning J.W. and i will write back

 

                        No more at present

            but

                        Remain yours forever

                        J G S to R Scoville

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