Jones, John (1862-1864) to his wife

Camp of the 45 [Ill.] Vol. Infantry
Lake Providence, La. March 12th 1863
My Dear Wife
To while away the somewhat tedious hours and more especially to gratify you I will try to get off a letter though really I feel almost too lazy, to write or do anything else but eat, at that I am as usual a pretty good hand. We got a mail yesterday which by the way was quite an event, as we had been without more than a week. I had almost forgotten my identity, who I was, or what I was going to be, or where I came from, but the two letters I got yesterday reminded me that I was in reality John P. Jones, that I was a Soldier, and that I was married, as one of letters spoke about a "little wife, with curly hair, and black eyes" the hair is all right enough but the eyes seems to me there must be a mistake, I always thought they [wasn't] black, and of rather greys I know best about it after all. The individual that mentioned was my brother Richard, he seems rather anxious to engage in matrimony, and asks if you have a younger sister, and impudent Scamp, but I shall have to answer him I suppose. So present my compliments to Helen and tell her to keep her heart whole till after the war is over, and I will bring her a beau. [2] I must confess myself somewhat disappointment yesterday in not getting a letter from you I expected one surely but I suppose I must account for it I suppose in this way, that it is because you are visiting. One letter I got yesterday was from Maria, she was wishing you would remain at Mother's until her return, or else make a visit to your friends in Chicago and meet her there. I hope you will be able to accommodate her one way or the other.
We are having splendid weather now, though we have had a food deal of rain lately, we have to drill now when the weather is fair and we regard that as a kind of a bore, and in fact it is anything but agreeable to us, being as we are adverse to bodily exercise, if it is to be found in drilling, but it does us no harm after all. I see by papers we received yesterday that the conscript act has passed, and is a law, I guess when Mr. Jefferson Davis sees that he will think the Government is bound to prosecute the war to the bitter end. I am glad the bill has passed, and I like it if one clause is excepted, and that is this, it provides in case of man is drafted, that he may become exempt by paying three hundred dollars to the war department, that I regard as entirely unfair, it shows the power of money, it shows to what we are drifting namely aristocracy, and it was framed on purpose by those who made the law, to protect themselves from military Service. Where is the justice of this thing? It throws all the [blunt] of the war, just where it [3] has been all along, and that is on the poor men, and those in moderate circumstances, there are but few men of any means but what will pay the three hundred dollars rather than enter the military service, it will be the means of exempting those who of all others I would like to see drafted, and that is the confounded traitor and "copperheads" because there is hardly one of them perhaps but that will pay the three hundred dollars to escape the hardships of a soldiers life, and they will remain at home and continue to plot treason. It is based precisely on the same principle with the conscription of the "Southern Confederacy" which exempts a man, owning twenty negroes and upwards, had it allowed a drafted man to procure a substitute if he chose and could do so it would have been perfectly right, then justice would have been done comparatively, because some would have very high prices for substitutes, and the poor men would have reapt the benefit. As it is the blunt of the war is thrown on the poor, and laboring classes, already it has been so, the poor men have enlisted, left their homes to fight for "Liberty and the Constitution" and their wives and families dependent on them for support, it is true committees have been formed in many places, a fund appropriated to aid families of volunteers, for a short time all has gone smoothly, but it becomes an old thing, the war lasts longer than was expected, Soon the wife's weekly allowance is lessened, bye and bye it ceases altogether. The Husband who [4] is far from home, fighting, bleeding, suffering for his country is not paid his wages for 4, 6 or 8 mouths, he would aid his family if he [inserted: could] contribute the last cent to their support, but he has not got the money. Government neglects paying him, or some vile paymaster gambles away its funds, and what is the result of this? Alas in many too many instances in some of our overcrowded cities have suffered, have felt the pangs of hunger gnawing at their very vitals. Shame! Shame on the wealthy men of the north to suffer to suffer this, The war had made no change in them, just as much money is squandered in parties, balls and so on, the [illegible] of Fashion cling to their idol with just as much tenacity, It is a fearful thought, that while the elite of New York for instances are seeking pleasure, attending concerts and theatres, whirling in the giddy dance the wife of some poor volunteer is famishing, dying in yonder lonely garrett. Oh! America! Canst thou not be saved? Alas! I fear not, unless we repent of those awful national sins. I know not but that while we tolerate such things we deserve to be overthrown. When will the people learn wisdom? have they not suffered enough yet? I have devoted more to this subject than I intended and have not room for anything else, I am somewhat anxious to hear from that money I sent Wesley for you, I expect it is all right though. I must tell you of a dream I had last night, I dreamed if seeing you, and with you was a child, a girl about two years old the very counterpart of its Mother, whom I thought was you, hair, eyes features and everything. You gave me a most enrapturing kiss, but before I had time to kiss the baby, I awoke and alas it was but a dream. give my love to all. And believe me your affectionate & loving Husband John P. Jones