104th Illinois Infantry

Item LTR-6964

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 2 pages written in period ink.


Frankfurt
October 16th 1862

Dear Sister Mary,

I received your letter yesterday afternoon. I was very glad to hear from you. I am well and so are the rest of the boys. John H. is in the hospital again. He is not very sick, I guess. I am well and have been so ever since I came into the army. I am getting as fat as a hog. It agrees with me first rate. We do nothing but stand guard all the while. We came in from picket guard yesterday morning and went on camp guard this morning. I guess I will go on picket guard tomorrow. I like it the best ind. We always live on the fat of the land. We had lots of honey to bring into camp yesterday. We always go out about three miles from camp. While we were out, two of us went to a house and they asked us into the house. And gave us a first-rate dinner. We sat and talked for about two hours and then we asked the nearest way to town. They gave us the directions and then we went back to our station. I traded my pistols for a watch. The watch is easier to carry than the pistol. I traded with a man over in town. Baletain wrote me a letter but I don’t know when I will get a chance to answer it. I got a letter from Nell the other day and one from Mollie Vaughn this morning. You wanted to know how many there was in my mess. We have no mess but we have confiscated three n****rs and we have them cook for the whole company. But I must stop for I have to go on guard at six o’clock and I want to get my supper first. Goodbye.

Your loving brother,

John J. Ford