47th Illinois Infantry

Item LTR-304

Description

6 page original Civil War soldier's letter, written in period ink and war dated.

Camp Rice
Jefferson City, MO
November 15th 1861

Dear Brother,

I now take my pen in hand with pleasure to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present. My health is as good as ever it was. I am gaining weight every day. I weighted one hundred thirty two when I came to Camp. And now I weigh one hundred fifty four. And I hope this will meet you in the same state of health. Also all my friends and relations I hope enjoy the same. We left Camp Benton on the 9th day of October on the Pacific Railroad for this place. We arrived here on the tenth and are here since. This is the Capital of the state of Missouri. It is on the shore of the Missouri River one hundred and twenty five miles west of St. Louis. It is rather a hard looking place. It is nothing but hills and rocks all through the City and no fancy houses to be seen in it. What I call fancy except the capital house. It is the finest house ever I entered. It is a stone building, nothing but carved stone. The river also is the ugliest looking river ever I see. Nothing but sand bar and snags. And the water continually thick with mud. Not a day as passed yet since we came here that I didn’t see a steamboat stuck on that river. Sometimes they stay there a whole day before they get away. There is now over six hundred soldiers sick in the hospital at the place. One hundred and nineteen died in less than two months time. That is taking them away fast over one hundred sick in our Regiment. Only four died out of our regiment yet, one died last night out of our company. A. Three died last night in the hospital from other regiments. Our Regiment is the stoutest of any I have seen yet. Besides we are put right through the hardest kind. We are detailed for guard every other day. We guard the whole City alone. I just come off guard this morning from guarding the states prisoners while they were whitewashing the hospital. Over six hundred prisoners in the states prison. They have got them out working on the forts and breastworks. And we must guard them every day. We have some very hard boys in our Regiment. Yesterday several boys went out in the Country to a friends’ house and begged for some whiskey and they refused to give them some. And the boys got the ax and threatened to chop down the house if they didn’t give them any. I don’t know how they made out. But they were court-martialed and tried yesterday. And their punishment is to carry 48 pounds of stones in their knapsacks for 48 hours on their backs. They have a rest of one hour out of every six. They walk with their noses pretty near the ground. Last Friday our boys came back from a shooting expedition. One hundred and four in number and three hundred Cavalry. They were out in Howard County. There they came across a nest of Secesh Cavalry. And they routed then and took twenty eight prisoners, forty head of horses and mules. A parcel of blankets, a lot of arms such as shotguns, rifles, corn cutters knives mad of old files. They also took two wagons. They took all these things and but a few killed, none on our side. The secessionists scattered over the whole county at the first sight. They got of our men. Our Cavalry took after them and overtook some of them.

We guarded the prisoners on Friday night. On Saturday they were sent back to St. Louis. There to be tried I reckon. I would like to have the chance to go out and whip some of them. I believe that a Dutchman like myself can whip four of them. That’s what the Yankees say, that a Dutchman is as good as four secessionists. Just let me get at them with my old musket and bayonet. This place will be well fortified in about two weeks. They are building forts and breastworks all around the city. The rebels will fall into a trap if they come in here after we get fixed. And some of them got hurt.

Soldiering is a very lazy life. I would rather have a little more to do than we have to do. I would like to do enough to keep the laziness off. I get so lazy occasionally that I am too lazy to go and eat a meal. We don’t drill any on account of the guard being so heavy. As soon as we come off guard we go and lay in our tents and there we lay until we are called out to dinner. The soldiers living puts me in mind of what Father used to say. One meal we have is beans and pork. And the next meal we have pork and beans. So that quite a change. Our biscuits are terribly hard. It would be necessary for me to have my little shoemaker that I used to have to break them. Further, I wish you to let me know whether Jacob Bays enlisted in Pennsylvania or in Ohio. Did he come back from Ohio? I don’t know any particular war news. The camp is always full of reports that the boys make themselves. But it is unnecessary for me to mention any of them. I want you to let me know how my relations are getting along. And all the family where the boys and girls are, I mean my brothers and sister. And I wish you to greet Susanna May with a holy kiss for me. And tell her to write me a letter as soon as can be. You mentioned in your last letter that you would like to know how I have my things fixed. I took notes for the money that was coming to me, about $160, and give it in Henry’s care. And if I don’t come again you shall have all of it. Further, I mean, excuse my bad writing and mistakes for there is so much confusion enough to bother a preacher. And I have got to set down on the ground and write a letter. I would write more, but I am getting tired sitting so low. So I want you to write and let me know a little of every thing if it takes you a week to write it. Let me know how Fanny Bernthistle is getting along, and Bakers, Albrights, and Uncle Mayer.

So no more at present.

When you write direct yours to:
Camp Rice
Jefferson City, MO
47th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Company E
In care of Captain S. R. Baker

Yours Respectfully,

David Meckley
Charles Meckley