201st Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-9292

Description

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


Camp Slough, Virginia

March 6th 1865

Respected Friend,

I take the liberty to inform you that I am in good health at this date and hope this may find you and yours in the enjoyment of the same good gift. Well on account of me being away from home, I would like to have my land all paid this Spring and I had the offer of enough money to pay all that I owed. But now, it seems it cannot be got at. So, if it makes no difference to you, I will keep that of yours one year longer so that I can pay the balance on the land. And then I think that in one year more, I can say again that I don’t owe anybody anything. And if Absalom is not drafted, I think I will have money enough to square off in the fall. But if you see him, tell him that I said if he wants to go and get a bounty that he should not stay on my account if he things the draft will strike him. Of course, their ought to be someone to stay there. But I think David would do that if there was no one else.

Well Uncle, I only weight one hundred and seventy-six pounds (176 lbs.). I don’t have much to do this Spring as I had when I attended the old mills. But I make good wages. I guess the rats has carried the old mill off by this time. I suppose Mr. William Shull is quaking about the present draft and poor John Ickes is in the same trouble again. I am sorry for them. But they had the chance to go and et the bounty. Perhaps it is not too late yet. But if they do go I think they will not see very hard fighting. For they will take them down to guard the places that Sherman is taking now. So that they will not be much exposed to the enemy. But it will be awful hard on them down there now. For it will be awful hot. The blue birds are about here now. And the days are pleasant enough to do without fire. But the nights are frosty yet. We only got 4 months pay and no government bounty yet. But there is a rumor that on the fifteenth of this month we will get two months more pay and the first installment of bounty. If we do that will still help me some more this Spring. I guess William Ickes has gone to his long home before this time. You were right when you said Old Coly would live longer than him. But I could not think so then. If you have no objections, write a letter to me in answer to this and let me know how you are getting along and what is going on in general.

Yours respectfully,

Jacob A. Rice
Company I
201st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers
Washington, D.C.