Jones, Joseph (fl. 1862-1865) to Nancy E. Jones

commencement
luisville kentucky

[1] Page one is virtually illegible as it is written in pencil.
[2]this morning looks rainy it has not rained on us since we have bin gone it is terible dry and dusty here but we are campt in the woods we have not seen any hard times yet we might say i have never bin hungry but one day and night yet i have not sufferd mutch for water i do generly sleep good of nights but the worst of all is that we are here in a rebel cuntry without arms i dont know hose fault it is our oficers told us that we would get our arms as soon as we got to luisville but we have got nothing yet but our fist [3] they say that we wil get our guns to day we have not got any more mony yet nor i dont count on it soon. our regiment is the largest men i ever seen and the bravest. but very wicked generly there is about fifty thous[inserted: and] troops here and mst of them has bin in the servis one year the rebels is not very close except some guarillies which burnt the rail road bridge a bout fifteen miles from here south the sixteenth kentuckey volunteers was sent out from here yesterday to fight them but the rebels was gone. they cannot take luisville now nor they wont try [4] i don't expect to stay here long. there is not mutch sickness in camp this is a helthy place. that man that got nocked of the cares died the next morning he lived on ridge farm north of paris there is a good many negros in camp it is very wicked the way that the soldiers dos abuse them they do laf at them and make fun of them and pick at them and abuse them and hate them you have no idey they do curse and dam them and want to kill them even perfessers of religon carnelous hany wants to kill them. so that is enough of that the end of this sheet [5] i want [text loss] say a little a bout the negro there has bin so much said a bout their smell but i wil just say that i have bin with them a good dele and i never have smelt them yet. i thought when I first went in to camp that evry body was was Christians that perfessed to be but it is not the case perfessers are as bad in something [text loss] the worst of men wi[t]h a few exceptions and here is the place to tel a man [text loss] to find out what he is when i am a writing some times men dos come and sit [6] down by my side and play cards and gambol and cut up very bad. you don't have any kind of ida how wicked men is it is no wonder if they do al get killed or have hard times. things don't look so strange to me as they did this war wil be a grate lesson to me i am glad that i did go in to it you may depend that i wil live up to my post and keep clare of all eavels and [struck: unclean] unclean[inserted: ness] i seen men leave their wives weping and mourning after them with a broken hart and after they come in to camp they don't think any more about their wife and children [text loss] they think about other [text loss] and evry thing else that
[7] Direct your letters to Joseph Jones luisvulle kentucky 79th regiment ill Vol. Company F in care of capt handy
my paper is so pore that i cannot write on but one side, there is five thousand indiana troops crossing over in to luisville just now wil be here to day, we are the only troops that has no guns but I reckon if they don't arm us [8] we can fight with our fist and clubs we are not afraid of any thing. [strikeout] you need not be afraid to send your likeness in a litter if you direct it right i do want them very bad i wil not get mine taken until i make another draw of money and it wil suit you beter also from the fact that i wil have my gun and war hat and that i wil then look kike a soldier dnd you would rather see how i look [9] in one month from now than to see me now for I expect to be fat in a month or two a soldiers life is unexpressable hard but it dos agree with me and i believe i can stand the hole rout by being very carful i stil live in hopes of geting word from yo i am disappointed evry day in geting a letter if you lack of paper buy it if you lack of time to write take time if you [10] lack of envelops and can not get them send your letter without any if you cant get stamps sent it any how if you wil write often i wil be glad i don't want you to work more than you can stand dont do any thing that you are not able to do for I [strikeout] would rather be as [struck: pore] poore as lazerus these times and live to see the children raised right the reson i say these words is because i
[11] to Nancy E. Jones
To Nancy E. Jones
September 7th 1862
monday morning
am acquainted with your poor health i would rather be poore and righteous than to be worth millions and have no hope it is our duty to save our lives these time and to preserve our health i don't know that [12] elizabeth is alive yet for she did look so bad when i left but let it be as it may gods will must be done the male has just come i wil go and see and then i wil close.
i wil now close no letter for me John Millis has got two letters form home [13] i rote the first page with apencil because the ink showed thro[inserted: ugh] this paper. i found it would not do
to Nancy E Jones
Read the page that is rote with the pencil first