Letter #13

Camp Fort Morgan Nashville
July 10, 1865

Dear brother

            I received your letter the day I wrote last but not till after I had sealed it, was glad to hear that you were all a wel as you are.  I hope the dyptheria will not go hard with any of you that have it.  I have been troubled considerable with diarhea and blind piles of late but not so bad that I have to lay by, feel better this afternoon, hope I shall get over it.  We have had two or thre good showers today & it is very refreshing after having as warm weather as we have had since the 4.

            Seven of our Company have gone home on a furlow Orderly Trumbull, E. M. Roberts & Whitlock from Lapeer William Hewitt & George Randolph from Hadley.  All will go before their thirty days are up.  The boys commenced work last Saturday, work about two hours in the morning & their work is done for the day. They are digging a ditch around the block house inside of the Fort, have to dig through a rock about 4 inches thick, makes it slow work.  The hills in this state & Kentucky are most all rocks, generally in regular layers from three inches to three feet thick.  These stones are used for buildings, side walks, fine post & many other things.  It is quite a curiosity to see what regularity there is in the shape & layers, it looks more like artificial than natural rock.  The way they split them out is by drilling holes in them, fill them with powder, & if this layer is not thick they drive in wedges.  Their instruments for drilling are very different from what we supposed they were, it is a sharp steel pointed iron bar.  That isn’t washed by steam but by elbow grease.  Should think it would be most to expansive this warm weather but there is plenty of Irishmen around here and they are good at such work.  There is a great many Irish in Louisville, that is where I saw them at work in the quarry.  I supposed their drill was turned like an auger but it is worked up & down.

            July 11th  No particular news this morning.  Weather cloudy & cool, a good night to sleep last night, slept with my bed warmer first time I have had anything over me since the 4. [4th of July]

            July 15.  Felt so unwell yesterday that I did not finish my letter as I intended to.  Had a slight touch of the ague, with the diarhia which was worse yesterday.  I feel some easier this morning, but quite weak.  The ague may come on again to morrow if it does not to day suppose the doctor will give me some quinine to breake it when he comes – he has not been here yet this morning.  He is a very pleasant man and I think does the best he can for his patients.

            Well I will close as I do not feel much like writing.  Will write again soon

            Am sorry the children were so much disapointed in not seeing me as they expected – hope it will not be long before they have the priveledge. 

            Write often. – Your affectionate brother John