Justus F. Gale to Father
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Mr Jonas. Gale
ElmoreVermont
8th Regt Vt. Vols. Co AAlgiers LaNov. 7th 1862Dear Father
It is with much pleasure that I seat myself to answer the kind letter that I received the 4th - dated Oct 12. It came to hand while our regt. was up the rail road at Lafourche. our regt have been out on excurs- ion two weeks to morrow. the force that went with us and we have drove the rebels back 100 miles from this place; our regt havent done any fighting for the rebels that we was sent to whip picked up their heels and skedaddled before we got to them; they burnt the
I received a Green Mountain Freeman with your letter
place where they was quartered and set fire to the rail road bridge and left leaving
much of their camp equipage some cannon &c. I was verry glad to hear from you
& the rest of the family – and to hear that your health is so good – for I think
it must bee hard for all of you being sick so much this summer and fall. You will
have to excuse me this time from writing much about affairs around here for I have to
go back up whare the Co. is at Bayou Buff about 70 miles from here I came down here
yesterday with Wesley and Corporal Brown to guard a load of stuff that was
confiscated up the road, I suppose I must write something to answer the question you
asked me concerning our property affairs; it is a hard thing for me to answer these
questions for three reasons. if I
comply with your wishes and please you
it will displease Mother, and if I do as Mother wishes me to do that will not bee
satisfactory to you. and I give up the farm it will bee against my own will - for if
I live to get out of this war I think I shant care about roving any more. as
concerning the land I gave you I calculate that I fullfilled it up to the time I
enlisted; and then left things in as good shape as I could for the comfort of you
all. but if the laws of our State are such that a man can take the adva- ntage of
another because he has volunteered to go to fight the enemys of our free land – then
I suppose I shall have to submit to it; If I could see that it would bee for the
benefit of all that I agreed to take care of I woul do a most any thing that would
add to your comfort
but I cant see as any such thing as deeding the farm
back will benefit you all; as to the troubles and fusses you have among yourselves I
dont consider that I am accounta able in the least for any such affa- irs. and
another thing you spoke of that was another companion; I calculate to take care of
what my bond binds me to take care of and no more I never shall consent to have you
bring another woman theire to add to the fuss and troubles that are already in the
family. I dont know as I ever shall live to get home so it may not make any
difference with me – but time only can tell. I hope you wont feel that I am trying to
hurt you or that I am aga inst you – for I am sorry that you have so much trouble in
your old age – but I must try and show resp ect for one parent as well as the other
I have just been looking over the things you sent me in the box. I am
verry much pleased with them especially the new boots they suit me to a dot. Wesley
Rufus & I had a nice breakfast out of our bread dried beef, dried berries honey
&c that was sent from Elmore. give my best thanks to all that had any thing to do
or that desired to for these articles sent to me for my comfort while away from home.
the Elmore boys are all well. I expect our regt. will bee back to Algiers again soon
as they get a bridge bilt up whare they are stoping now. I must stop writing for this
time; write again as soon as you can, and write how you get along with the farm and
work. I hope you wont feel hard to me for what I have wrote for I mean to what is
best for you all.
I am glad that you have had so good crops and that butter is doing as well as I hear it is doing.
This is from your friend and sonJ. F. Gale