Camp Warren Burlington Sixth rigment

 

July 31 Company F July 31..61 I write a journal letter to you I am well at present hoping you injoy the same blessing O Ruth the morning walk when when I parted with you was the lonelyest morning that I evr spent I come to that place whare the road was shaded so nice whre you and me was walking the sun was just riseing i there nelt in payr as you r then when I got to the river I had to wate for the boat i went and set on that log were you and I sat and talked but you was not there

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Aug. 1^st August 1^st this morning our Cap took us down to the river to bathe I looked acrost whre you camped I could allmost see you and the children walking about among the trees then I thougt of past liv when our days was spent happy to gether O Ruth may it be the will of god that we may see happy days yet together

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Aug. 2 to day is my day to cook I have got breakfast all readey while I wate for our company to come in from drill I will read my little testament and write a few lines we expect to go to / keokurk tomorro morning O whe whe will these dark unhappy days pass a way when tis gods will Ruth put your trus in the lord he doeth all things well

————————————————————                                        J G Scoville

 

July 4 Aug 4 well we are at keokurk we took a boat at Burlington come to fort maddison took the cars from there to keokurk our new camp is in the third storry of a large brick bilding our colonel said we must cook all together so our capt chose 4 men to do the cooking for the company I am one of the cooks we cooks are exempt from all other duty fiteing and all the 5 rigment that Sam is in is here they come one day before my Aug 4.61

                                                the got here yesterday the 3                            J G Scoville

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Aug 5 I write a little everry day I am siting in the windo of the third story of a large brick bilding in keokurk it is a bout sunrise i have been reading to or three chapters in my testament this is a beautiful place I have a view of the river and the green woods acrost on the illinois for milds a part of our rigment starts this morning to a town 20 milds up the demoin river to whip eigt hundred rebbels Ruth I know you have a hard time takeing care of the children may god protect and bless you with health I am verry lonesom and unhappy but my trust is in the lord he may spare my life that i may see my dear family once more /

 

Aug. 20 Camp Jessie Lafayett Park St louis

Dear companion and children I am well at present hopeing you injoy the same blessing I was verry glad to received a letter from you but greaved to hear you was not well I got your letter in a few minutes after we got to this place three days ago we left keokuk Aug 7..for went down the river to Jefferson Barracks 12 milds below St louis stayed there 4 or 5 days we herd that the rebbels was coming on us with a large force we was without arms three thousand of us so we fixt the place so it would blow them up sky high and left the place in a hury went to the St louis arsnel whare there was penty of arms we stay there 3 or 4 days then moved to out to here this part is at the west side of the city it is the beautifulest and most deligtful place i have ever seen it is contains 2 hundred acres is full of trees of evry sort of evergreen and beautiful flower gardens well I was sick a few days O how I wished to be at home then we do not know how long we will stay here O Ruth cheer up the old Ship of Zion will land is by and by if we meet no more on earth meet me in heaven children be kind to your mother and to each other write to me often we have hard times and good times just it happens some times we have to sleep on the grond in the rain and not haff enoug to eat but we will stand the storm it wont be long well ancer by and by                        John G Scoville to Ruth Scoville /

 

Aug 20 well I write a few lines more I am seting in the middle of the handsomest flour garden in this state the rest of the company is drilling and I must close and get in ranks or i will get a back mark that i could just fly home to you my family how happy i would be but alls I cannot see you until I get an honarable discharge the rebel are trying to kill us by selling us peaches and pies with poisen in them abut one third of the inhabitance around us are confounded rebbels there has been severl poisened since we came here there is a yong soldier strugling and dying not ten rods from me at this minet with poison we have to be careful what we eat

 

                                                your affectionate companion

                                                                        untill death

                                                                                                John G Scoville

                                                write soon

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