Justus F. Gale to Brother
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Apr 24
Mr Chas. J. Gale
Lamoile Co.Elmore Vt
Ship Island 8th RegVt. Vols. Co. AApr 24th 1862Brother Charles.
I have just finished reading that darned old (what was I going to say) the kind letters I received from you and sisters and was glad to hear from you but am sorry that you have such a cold. I wil improve the first opportunity to answer it. I am wel as common except a dierhea which has been following me up for a few days. & this morning I went over to see the Serg- eon and got some medicine and got exc- used from duty to day which is the first day but what I have been on duty since I came here: I think I shal be able to do duty again tomorrow. I received a letter from Lyman of the same date
the Elmore boys are wel. brother youdal came in last night to see me he is well.
and mailed one day later that I got the 12th of Apr. I am verry glad that you are
agoing to keep writing for It does me a great deal of good to sit down and read a
good long letter from home. I havent got any letter from Wilber yet but hope I shal
the next mail. you wrote in the letter that you was going to send me a paper but I
havent seen it yet. Stephen received a letter from his folks to day. he said they
wrote to him that they had taped their sugar places down to barre the 24 of march so
I should think by this time it beg- ins to be warmer weather in Elmore there hasent
been a stormy day since we left Vermont except a little rain that only lasted a short
time in the morning. Almeda spoke about my seeing ripe berreys and fruit trees in the
blos- som here. all the fruit I have seen on this Island was one strawberry that one
of the boys brought down from
the upper end of the Island and I gues that
was all he found: there is nothing that grows on this unkown land that is of any use
to man or beast only a little wood and that we have to raft about three miles and
then back it to our tents.
Apr 25th
half past eight I have just came in from Company drill I feel quite smart this
morning only rath er weak. it is warm and sultry this morning here. we have almost as
many and suden changes in the weather as there is in Vermont. there is not much news
to write. I suppose you wil hear of the fight on the Mississippi R and the capture of
for Jackson. our men bombarded the fort and put a hot ball into the mgazine and
blowed up the magazine and killed 2000 rebels: at least such is the report here. our
Reg is under General Phelps. our food is good enough for
for soldiers
except our meat which I think is too greacy for us being mostly pork and smoked
shoulders. I think if we had more beef and less smoked oiley pork it would be better
for us. but we dont eat much of the greacey meat. we have soft bread every other day
and some of the time every day we shal have some beans for dinner we have rice about
twice a week [tea] twice or three times a week. we have the canvass
tents which are verry comf- ortable and keep us dry unless it rains verry hard. I
shal write to some of you every week I want you should keep writing and direct to the
8th Reg Vt. Vols Co. A and they wil come just as straight as a line. give my love to
all and be sure and write often. tel Father I should like to have him write to me.
remember me at the throne of grace and let us all rember that the Lord has promised
that he wil never leave nor forsake those that trust and obey him.
give my love to Mother and tel her to write if she can find time
J. F. Gale
11 Oclock
I have been out on batta- lion drill and have come in a swe- agint and panting but have nothing more to do or think about til half past three then another battalion drill for 1 ½ hour. at six we shal have to go out to dresperade which wil take about 30 minutes. I havent stood on guard since I came onto the Island. it was my turn to stand to day but they excused me to day. I cant think of any more to write this time. write me some good long letters and tell all that is going on.
this from your old boss J. F. Gale