Well here I am again writing to you I have commenced (?) this
------ day(?) night (?) because I am afraid to put it off till
tomorrow. I shall forget some things I want to send for. I want
you
to make me an orderlies diamond(?) (i.e.square) of the same
material my stripes are made of. Red and blue. Make it as small as
you can and leave a small hole in the center of it. Show as little
of the red as possible. Stich (sic) it on some thin(?) stuff and
send by mail. Also send
my me a skim(?) of black sewing silk. I shall send you
the Oranges (?) tuesday. You can have half of them(?) and pay half
of the expenses. Tell Mother half of them are for her and Father. I
wish I could send you more but I cant. I have all I can eat every
day. Chambers(?) is bound to get out of the service this winter some
way. If he cant do so by fair means he will by foul. He disobeys
positive(?) orders and goes to NO on ----- to be disgraced from the
service and yesterday he was a drunk as a fool. I feel sorry for him
but cant help him as I know of. It is very warm here and we are
having beautiful weather. Only one thing bothers & that is the "mosquitoes." I wish you were here for one week
at least. The trees are green yet. Enclosed you wif
will find some leaves of the live oak.
Sunday morning, 4th Dec
My Dearest Hortense,
We have had our regular Sunday morning inspection and
now I will finish my letter to you. I imagine that you are having
cool weather up there this
morning for the north wind feels cool and good to us this morning
and our two blankets
felt very comfortable last night. I do wish you could stay here
this winter but it cant be so you and I must try to be contented and
be satisfied in thinking of the grand time coming when this cruel
war is over. Wont that be a glorious time when we are united never
to part again till death seperates (sic) us? In future days we can
tell our children what we have done and point with pride to the
record of this war knowing and feeling that we did not wait to be
forced to do
put the day of the week wrong. I was so long coming I completely
lost the day of the week. I wrote part of it Wednesday and part
Thursday. John M Hyland(?) only gets sergeants pay where he is so
you can imagine how he was heated, and how he hated the Co. He will
soon be the Father of a mulatto!!! What do you think of that? I have
not recd No 2 yet but hope to in a few
days. The mail does not come very regular, but I am in hopes to
get all your letters in at least ten days after you write them. How
is your wood+ going to hold out and do the chunks do as well as you
expected they would? Give my love to all the folks. Tell Fanny &
Flo that papa wants them to be good girls. With much love for them
and endless love for you I remain your loving husband John M.
Follett
Note: Emmett B. Chambers of Knoxville, Ill, was in Co. H,
33rd Ill
Note: There is a John Hyland of Bloomington, Ill, in the
94th Ill,
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