40th Iowa Infantry - Wounded & Captured at Jenkin's Ferry, AR

Item LTR-8087

Description

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


Camp Maddison, Paducah, Kentucky
April 8, 1863

My Dear Mother,

I again seat myself to inform you that I am still alive but not quite well yet. I am getting some better though. This is the third time I have written to you without getting any answer in return. But I still look for a letter from you the next mail as we only have mail once a week here. But at Columbus we had mail every day. So we do not get letters near so late nor so often as we did at Columbus.

Levi’s folks were all well the last time I heard from him, which was about two weeks ago. He says his boy will never get well he don’t think. He says he has but very little hopes of him if any.

My folks at home are getting well. Now Mary has been very sick since I left home. She says she has written to you three or four times without getting any answer from you. But as you can’t write yourself and are getting old and always have remembered me in time of need, I shall write if you don’t every week or two. But I should like to hear from you when you can make it convenient for you to write to me and I should like to have you write to Mary when you can. If I don’t get a letter from you then, I can hear from you by her as she always writes to me every week and some times twice. It is very warm and nice weather here now and grass is started. Very nice here and looks like Spring. When you write, direct as you did before only to Paducah in place of Columbus.
Tell Uncle Jesse I shall send him a letter soon. Write soon.

Good bye
David Patrick
To his Mother

Direct to David Patrick
Co G 40th Iowa Vols
By way of Cairo Nr Paducah, Ky