Head Quarters 29^th Regt

Iowa Volunteers

Camp Dodge Iowa

Nov 4^th A.D. 1862

 

Old and esteemed friend

I do not mean old in years but in memory as a friend. I have then the unwarranted privilege of addressing a few lines to you by way of correspondence and though it may be somewhat unexpected to you to receive a letter from one whom you have not seen for more than nine years and whom you have perhaps forgotten long ago. But if that is the case with you perhaps the receipt of this may bring back to your mind the recollection that there is yet in the land of the living such an individual as the one whose name you will find at the close of this article. You will doubtless infer from the heading of this page that I am following soldiering for a livelihood, and such is the case. I enlisted in the service about three months ago and / our regiment is now in rendezvous about two miles S.E. of Council Bluffs on the Missouri River. We are situated on an elevated piece of ground and have a beautiful and pleasant location

 

We have a full view of the river for several miles and there are steamboats passing up and down the river almost daily. I am about 95 miles from my old home in Guthrie Co.

I hear from home about twice a week but the regulations are so strict that it is with difficulty that a furlough can be obtained, so I think it is quite likely it will be some time before I see my folks again But I have left home and friends at the call of my country to assist in defending and protecting this glorious land of ours from the reign of terror and despotism. It was a hard trial for me to leave a happy and cheerful home where I was enjoying the comforts and luxuries of life, and was surrounded by near and dear friends whose society and pleasing manners I so much treasured to take my / life as it were in my hands and dwell in the tented field amid a throng of thousands and that far away in an enemies land, where the heavy tread of soldiery and the clang and clash of arms, the shrill notes of the fife and the deep rolling sound of the drum as the notes of some lively military air, are flows forth in musical strains and then dies away in the distance. But yet I think my country calls louder for my aid than home or kindred or friends. But I sincerely hope the time may speedily come when this wicked rebellion will soon come to a close and then many is the home that will be made to rejoice by reason of absent friends returning to the kind embrace of loved ones at home. But to look on the other side of the picture Oh how dreadful the thought! Just think of the hundreds and thousands who have left their homes and have been taken to their long and last resting place and then to think of their languishing upon a sick bed with no friendly hand to admin / ister to their wants and apply the balm to aching head and sooth and revive their drooping spirits by words and actions of gentleness and kindness. But I have deviated considerable from the common course of letter writing and consequently shall have to incline my thoughts in a different direction. Before commencing to write this letter I had been musing on old times My thoughts had wandered far back into the past in the days of our childhood when we used to go to to the district schools and comed over our dull lessons because had to and not because we took any delight or pleasure in from the fact that we did not at that time really know the importance of such things. And then my thoughts wandered still farther down to the time when we began be of an age that we must appear before the world and think and act for ourselves. Then I thought of my removal from the state of Indiana to the young and glorious state of Iowa and still traced the course down and down till the present time. In fact I have been reviewing as it were almost my whole life and in thinking of friends, both old and new I thought of of yourself, and although I have a large correspondence and consequently occupy considerable time writing, yet I could not think of any one within the circle of my acquaintance that I would be more delighted to receive a communication from than from you. Now kind friend I must bring this letter to a close but before I do I would respectfully request you to write to me as a particular favor and tell me of yourself and the rest of the folks and all the news in general. And now I will give you my Post Office address for the present.

 

direct your letter to Geo. Campbell. Council Bluffs Iowa. 29^th Regt Iowa Infantry in care of Captain Dyson. I must quit for the wind is blowing dust thick over my paper and I have nothing to write on but a shingle laid on my knee no more at present

yours &c

George Campbell

 

 

Gabriella Conroe                                                            

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