12th Missouri Cavalry

Item LTR-7268

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages written in period ink.


Germantown, Tennessee
September 4th 1864

Mr. Shattuck,

Yours of the 20th inst is at hand. Was perused with pleasure and found such a heartily reception as to elicit an answer from me. We are now in camp at a station 16 miles from Memphis. We have a nice, healthy camp here. No forage round here. We kill every sheep, hog, cow in 15 miles of here. So again, we live pretty well. The boys are all well from Putnam. Tell the boys if they do not want to be drafted into the 12-month service, they had better come down and enlist for three years.

There was a little fight with the pickets between here and Memphis yesterday. But nothing serious was affected.

You must write soon and let me know how things are getting along up in Putnam. And who all are going into the service. Ben said he had written 4 or 5 letters to you and got no answer and he was not going to write until he got an answer.

The weather is very warm here. We have had some of the warmest days for a week or two past that I every saw. The thermometer stood at 120 in the sun.

I am on guard today. So I must close my hasty epistle. Give my respects to Mr. Daniels. Tell him to write. Also, to Dock Klepper’s folks. No more at present.

I remain as ever, your obedient servant and sincere friend,

W. T. Sprigg

P. S. Address William T. Sprigg, Company F, 12th Missouri Cavalry. Via Memphis Tennessee