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Abraham Slough Letters

Transcript:

Letter from Abraham Slough
to Lydia A. Slough

August 9, 1862

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                                 Camp Near San Jacinto Miss
                                            August 9th 1862
                               Kind and Loving Wife I again have
the pleasure this Morning of Seating myself to write you
a few lines in answer to your welcome letter of the 31st July
which duly came to hand yesterday and found me as you
desired in your letter well and harty and in much better
Spirits than I have been for the last two months,  Indeed
your letter give me all the Satisfaction that a letter from
a dear companion to a husband and father could wish
hence you may know that I was much pleased to Read it
and hear that you was all Enjoying tolerable good health
Lydia I can Say to you that I am yet Enjoying good health
for which I am yet and Ever Expect to Remain thankful
to him that bestowes his mercy So richley upon me, and I
do Sincirely hope this may reach you and find you all in
good health and in fine Spirits,  I told you just now that
I am in better Spirits the reason for this is Simply that I had
come to the firm Conclusion that this war would not be
wound up Short of the time of my Enlistment if Ever and
to think that I had to be kep from you at home for that
length of time was anough I think to make me down-harted
but things begin to look up when we are to have 600,000 men		  

 

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  to help us, it looks like the government now is trying to do
Something I think the government has Just found out that
There is a war and I am Seareously of the opinion the people
will find It out  before it is done with yet,  O but it does
my very Soul good to think that there is going to be Drafting
done in Indiana I think it will now make Some of them fall
to therr knees, from what I hear I Expect Indiana will fill
her quota of Volunteers to fill the call for 3000,000 but the other
quota I think will make things git  up and Brindli,  I am in
hopes it will take Some of the Rebels you have in your Section
I do think Lydia that if we get the forces now called for all out
in the field That This Rebelion can be put down and we That live
over it be at home against next June.  Still that looks like a
long time for me to stay away from you but I want you to
cheer up and keep in good hart beleaving that we are boath doing
our duty, and trusting in a kind providence to protect us that we
may meet again,  Well Lydia we have been at this place Three
days it is a very nice and pleasant Camp we are Still blessed
with good water Though it is more unhandy we now cary water
about half mile,  San Jacinto is the county Seat of Tishamingo County
which is the largest County in the State,  This Town is very little
larger than Johns Town  So by this you can see the backwardness of
this country this place is about 16 miles from the camp we left the
land is still poor corn Just in Rosting Ear we have about Six
hundred acres to work on and it is nearly all Eat up aready		  

 

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Now Lydia you say to me in your letter that you never want
me to say to you that I am well unless it is actually so I must
Say to you that so far as that matter is conserned I have been as
honest as death I promised you when I last Saw you that I
would tell you the truth Respecting that matter and thank fortune
I have so fare done so and I still Expect to while I keep in the
Service for I would feel very ungrateful  to you if I did not         
now Lydia I am going to give you a little chastising, I believe
if I am not mistaken you promised me the Same thing as I
am Shure I made the Request, you roat me a letter I think on
the 25th of last June and in that letter you said you was [?]
all of that day towit the 25, now did you fill your promise to
me I think not, I know the complaint was one that you did
not care to say any thing about but if you will promise not to
do so any more I will forgive you for this time I want you to
let me know Jut how you are although no doubt it would be
disagreeable to Either of us to hear that Sickness ocured but I feel
anxious to know the truth about the matter and for that Reason I
make the Request, but Lydia I do not want you to think hard
of me for this chastisement, I was glad to hear of you getting the
money I sent you say you can not use it as I wished you to
now Lydia I want you to et things that you kneed I want you to
go dressed deasent and I know you can do that without making a
Sample of the one you Spoke of it I thought you could not I would

  

 

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advise you to go [caged?] and I sertaintly think The Neighbors would
have no objection to you going decent as other people I am Sorry
to hear of you getting but one Dress Since I left home, but I
can but advise and then you must do as you think best
    I can Inform you that our company Sends back a Recruiting
officer in a few days to Recruit for our company I am Sorry to
Say I find there is no chance for me to be the one he is already
Salected it is R, Kerr I have no doubt in my mind if I was
a Drunkard and an abominable Swarer I could have been
Selected for theas kind I find are the persons favored our Capt
had the Choice of Selection and Such are his  Favorite this same
fellow has had the most Severe punishment put upon  him by our
generals of any man in the Regiment he has got drunk on Evry
ocassion where an oportunity offired Since we left, Lieut Hyden is
oposed to Sending him but he cannot help himself  I have not much
hopes of his doing any good for our company
        The wether is still dry and Intencly hot here we have had but
Very little Rain Since we come to the State, you can tel Sol Fulk
that Green Foly is Dead he died on the 5th,    Now Lydia I must soon
close I am Still thankful of your determination to do better you say
it is a  hard Place to do better in Some Respects, you need not Expect to
get along without trials, but be determined let come what may come
you will do better, if you think you have trials Than how do you Expect
I get along here when I am beset with sin on Evry hand, may god
Bless you in your Effort to live The life of a Christian is my Prair
I Remain as Ever your Loving husband Abrm Slough to
                                                                    Lydia A Slough

 		 

 

  *Note to researcher:  This letter has been transcribed by Archives staff verbatim
as the words appear on the original written page.  The spacing, punctuation, and
capitalization are identical.  Words that are unclear have been enclosed in brackets.