Camp Sigel Wis. Nov. 25^th 1862

 

My Dear Friend William!

            Yours of the 4^th was duly rec. last evening & be assured gave much satisfaction. I am very glad once more to know where you are; though I am sorry to hear of your poor health. Mine is good. Better than it was while I was studying. I have not yet seen any actual service, and it is likely that I shall not before next spring, as we will probably stay here all winter. Well, I haven't much to say against it. Our barracks are good & warm, our rations full & of excellent quality, and the drilling just sufficient for good health and active digestion. When I wrote you last we had not left for Camp yet. I told you that / I would very likely be Chaplain of our Reg't. Well, I did think so and am sure all my friends wished it, but God thought otherwise. On our arrival in Camp I was going to write to the Governour on the subject, but found on inquiry that our Colonel had already engaged one from Sheboygan Falls. Had he known me beforehand he would not have done so; but it was too late, he had given his word. Well, I think God willed it so. "His will be done." I am willing to do my duty as a soldier. The Captain thinks a great deal of me, and endeavors to make the service as light & agreable to me as possible. I am not a private, but that makes no difference to me, for I hold myself no better than another.

 

William! I am rejoiced to hear that you are still faithful to your Master. Go on! and may you never falter / nor swerve from the narrow way. Pray much, for without prayer the christian can not live.

 

You would like to know how my folks are getting along. Well luckily I can tell you something about it. I went home on furlough the first part of this month. I arrived there on the morning of the 7^th and staid untill Sunday the 9^th. My folks were even better than I expected to find them. I expected to find father in bed, but instead of that he was in the garden working at his trees. They were of course glad to see me, for they had already given up the idea of ever seeing me again. From there I went to Morenci Mich. to see Susan. I staid there till Tuesday and then took her along with me to Jacksons Prairie Ind. where I wanted to visit some friends. I will tell you a little about them. / You know, some years ago I worked out there for a man by the name of Luke Barr. The family consists of two sons and two six or seven daughters of which number the two youngest are at home yet. One is now about 19 and the other 22 years old. The older one of these is considdered to be the most beautiful and the most inteligent young Lady in the whole "diggins" and with this facinating creature I was foolish enough to fall in love. I bore my secret in silence for almost 4 years, for I had not the courage to tell her about it untill lately.

 

If you wish to know how I went about it I will tell you some other time. Well, the result was: She wrote to me that she loved me, and me only.

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