It is with pleasure I take my pen in hand to let you no that I am on the land amonks the living but
hante well by a good deel nor ant bin sens Sunday. I was taken a Sunday with the
worste headach I ever had and hot fever but it come from my arm whar I got vaccinated.
It is the worste arm you ever seen. The lewtenant Jones come to my tent this morning
and took me to the doctors and he examined my arm and put a lite bread poltis
on it and it is a little easy now but it hurt me worst of enny thing I ever had.
I was aferd it wood give me the lock Jaw but I hope it will get well now and I
think it will. I recvd your letter last satterday and was glad to her that you
was all well and doing well but that is moore than I can say for I was never as
tired in my life as I am now. We has bin her nearly two months in the mud and
water and nothing done nor no money and I donte no when I will git it. In fact
I donte care much now the way I feel. All I want I wood like to be at home with
you and the children. I think it cure my arm but it panes me so I cant hardly
right but I thout I must right to you enny how. The doctor told me that it was
a good thing that I got vaccinated for if I had got smallpox it wood a went mity
hard with me, so now if I git them tha wonte go hard a toll. I think I will git
home in a month or two. I am in title to a furlow in a month from now so I will
come if I can. I hante got no nuse much. Thais a greate deal of sickness in camp
and deaths every day. One of our corprels dide las weeke. He was a fine yong man
and I was mity sorry he dide for I thout a heepe of him and he thout a heepe of
me. His name was William Leland. I wated on him when he was sick. I want to be
at home vary bad. I have such a bad way of sleepen on the could ground and I have
to lay on one side for I cant lay on my left side a bit, but I think I will well
again in a weeke or two. I donte no but what we'll stay her tell wear all discharged
to come home. Tha was twelve hundred cavaldry men come to our camp today and tha
is about twenty thousand more a comeing tomorrow so tha will be something done
vary soon. The war will be over or some hard fighten one or two but the talk is
that the war will soon be over and I hope it will. You rote that you herde we
wodn git enny bounty. I herde so two and I made all enquiry and we will git it.
Tha cant keepe us out of it but if tha will let me off that is all I want.
I cant right much my hand trembles. The next letter I right I will right a big one and
send the money but I cant send it till I git it. You sed that you herd such good
preachen. I must Joke you a little you sed you like him so well. I donte want
you to like him two well tell I git home and see him. I cant right no moore my
arm panes me so bad. I remain your dear husband untell Death. Direct your letter
First Regiment Ohio Volunteers Company C Captain Thruston Camp Wood Heart County,
Ky.
Hillory Shifflet to Jemima Shifflet
From the collection of Stephen Altic of Columbus OH
