Justus F. Gale to Mother
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Mrs Abigail. Gale
Elmore Lamoile Co.Vermont
8th Reg. Vt. Vols. Co. AAlgiers La.August 19th 1862Dear Mother;
I wil improve the first opportunity to answer yours & Almedas kind letters of the 27th which came to hand yesterday; I was verry glad to hear from you again & to learn that your health is as good as you write it is; but I am sorry that you and the rest stil are having trouble; but we read in the good book that in this world we shal have trouble and affliction but bee of good cheer said the Savior for ye shal over come even as I have over come. as to my own health it has been good now for the last two or three weeks; I begin to feel some as used to in Vermont; I feel wel and contented but stil I think of the friends and affairs I have left at home. the health of our reg. is much better than it was a few weeks ago; there is now and then one dropping off but we cant expect any thing else in the army nor should we escape when the Lord calls even if we was at home. Tel Almeda I should like to have been at home that Sabboth night to helpt her make that rasberry short cake for supper; but I think I got enough more blackberries to eat than she did to partly make up the rasberrys. I eat more blackberries than I ever see before.
I hope Mother you wont bee afraid to write for fear that it wil bother me to read it: for I can read any ting that comes from home. write as often as you can get time & write how you get along with Fathers concern.
Tel Almeda I havent been out after mellons & potatoes since I wrote to her; I dont go out verry often on a spree but when I go I go whole hog or nothing. our regiment has been under marching orders for 3 or 4 days but I think we shant have to go at present. the reason we was ordered to be ready to march at a minutes notice was on the account of an expected attack about 8 miles above here & we was to bee ready to go and reinforce them; I wouldent be surprised at all if we was called to face the enemy within a short time. there is a report here that a rebel General has started for New Orleans with quite a force to retake the City. I also understand that Gen Butler has sent for 25 or 30 thousand more troops to come here so I think if they know when they are well off they had better keep away. I suppose you have seen the paper that I sent Lyman and read about the Battle at Baton Rouge; according to what I have heard them say that was there our boys used them up harder than the paper gives account of. they say that men that sold our men milk there day after day was found dead with their guns and equipment by their side; these are about the kind of union men we have to the South. others was seen to fire from the win dows &c. but after all this the so called damed yank- ees drove them 3 rebels against 1 yankee. I have heard that there is another call for 300,000 more troops to bee drafted. it looks rather hard to call so many but I think it wil bee the cheapest & wil save less blood being spilt than to keep to work with what they have got.
I hope he wil conclude to give it up & all of you wil live happy and peacebly together yet. may the blessing of the lord rest uppon you all
I have just been looking at those lovely little boys faces that was sent to me; they look so nice and natural that it almost seems as though I could see them. I cant think of any words that wil express my thank for them. Tel Samantha to except my thank for what she sent me in your letter as her part for that time; I think I wil wait til towards night before I finish this letter and see if I dont have some more mail this afternoon. I must say a few words about the picture on this sheat you wil notice the main part of the City on one side of the river & a small village on the opposite side this is Algiers; and we are located on the extreme left side of the picture in the large building you can see at the left; this is the best place for us to camp we have had since we left Vermont.
3 O’clock P.M.
As I have waited in vain for any more mail to day I wil write a
few lines more this afternoon. perhaps a few words about our Company wil interest
some of you; I suppose that Capt Grout is soon to leave us to return home; he has
resigned his commission & I expect that Gen Butler has granted his resignation;
if he goes home I expect Lieut. McFarland will be promoted to Capt & ordely
Huchinson to Lieutenant. this wil make quite an alteration in our officers what we
had when we left Vermont. I think we shal like Lieut. McFarland as well as Capt
Grout. The Elmore boys are doing well now Chas. Cooper is gaining slowly. Rufus is
about the quarters. the rest are tough as a bear. give my love to all & except a
large share your self. this from your unworthy son.
tel Charley to write often & all things & affairs about the farm, the galls & boys old maids & all
J. F. Gale to his Mother
[City of New Orleans]