23rd Missouri Infantry

Item LTR-7560

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages, written in period ink.


McMinnville, Tennessee
January 23rd 1864

Dear Companion,

I again write you a few lines to let you know that I am still numbered among the living. I am in very good health at the present time, for which I am thankful to him who giveth all things. And I wish that I could know that you and sweet Edmon were well and all the rest I have not heard from you since the 2nd of the present month. So you can guess that I would like to hear from you and what is the reason I don’t know. I think there is something wrong somewhere. But I think I will get more than one when they do come through. I wrote to you when I was at Nashville. Company F, as I told you then, went to Murfreesboro. And thirty of us who were with them went on to Nashville after Teams. And the rest went back to McMinnville. There was not anything that occurred more than cold, bad weather. Until Sunday when we went into Town to load after we drew the Teams. We had them standing in the streets and a drove of mules come through and scared our Teams and twelve of them started to run away but two of them got away. Fortunately there was no one hurt. But two or three wagons broke. It was an awful site to see the stampede right in the street. But there was no one hurt. There was nothing more that occurred worth mentioning. Only raining and snowing and level road. We arrived back here last evening. We were gone eleven days. The rest of the Company that came back was attacked at Woodleery by bushwhackers but there was no one hurt. D. S. Couck was taken prisoner while going to where Captain Morris was sleeping in a house some distance from the Company. They kept him two days and paroled him. There was so about thirty of them. We don’t know whether any of them was hurt or not. Some say there were some three or four killed and wounded. They did not bother us as we came through. We had 22 teams and the most of us were driving. Our guns were all in the wagons and so you can guess there is not much danger. At least we are not afraid of them. I have nothing else to write at this time when I have a chance to send this if I have anything then I will write it to you

January 25th 1864

I have nothing more at this time. Only that for the last few days it has been clear and warm weather. Like the month of May. Last night it did not freeze so that you could not tell it hardly. The ice here this winter has not been over four inches thick. I don’t think the still waters had any ice on the running water’s this winter. But still, the cold weather we have had, set hard on us. Our blood is thin. From what I can hear you have had a cold winter and deep snow. So the cars can’t run and that is the reason the mail doesn’t come. Chase had no snow for some time. As the horn is blowing for supper, I will stop for this time.

January 28th 1864

Lizzie, I have just received your kind letter 13th. You may guess that I wanted to hear from you in the worst kind. As I had not heard from you since the second of the present month. There is two behind, yet the date of them is January 6th 1864, 15th. Call this 28th 1864. I feel better satisfied since I heard from you. You said nothing hardly about my Edmon. How I would like to see him. I can’t tell you how much I wish if I could see him. I would like to see you sometime. I hope is not far off when I will get to come home. I have a chance now to come home but I don’t like the terms. That is to go in the veteran service and get a thirty day furlough and then serve three years longer. This you would not want me to do and unless you want me I am not going to go in. If you would want me to do so then I could come home when I can.

This two letter posts that you have not gotten.

John T. Hayes

Read this if you can hardly.