Justus F. Gale to Family
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Mrs Abigail. Gale
ElmoreVermont
8th Reg. Vt. Vols. Co. AAlgeers LaJuly 24th 1862 Dear Mother & all the rest.
It is with some- what sober thoughts and feelings that I attempt to write a few lines
to you this morning. since I last wrote home to you there has been considerable
sickness in our regiment and a num- ber of verry sudden deaths. in one week there has
three died out of our Co. Lieut Gilman S. Rand Sargeant C. C. Martin of Stowe &
one private. Lieut Rand was taken sick up with the Co. at the Bayou he came down from
there last Saturday and Tuesday eavening he was a corpse. he died with the Typhoid
fever. the private died with the same & nearly as sudden. there has three Lieuts
died out of this regiment within one week (including Lieut Rand) Lieut Kellog from
Worcester died yesterday with the disentary his boy is here with him about 10 or 11
years old. there is only one of our Co. in the hospital now that is Charley Cooper I
havent seen him for some time he is considerable sick but not considered at all
dangerous I beleive.
as to my own health it isent good nor much bad. I
havent been troubled with the dierea any for ten days or more. when I keep still and
dont try to do much I feel well enough but when I have to travail of far or do much
it makes me feel lifeless and rather poor. I suppose it is owing to the hot weather
and poor water. we had a verry smart thunder storm last night verry heavy thunder and
sharp lightning. it remains cloudy to day. I came down from the Bayou last night I
probable shal go back to morrow or next day. I wish I could see you all for I suppose
you are anxious to see me & to see how I far I conclude you are worying about me
for fear I am sick and dont write and let you know it. but when I am sick I wil say
so if I can say any thing. I dont think you need to wory about that any way. the
citizens here say it is the healthy est season here this year there has been for a
great while. they say it wil begin to grow cooler here soon. I suppose Mother you and
Sisters are to work hard now days making butter and cheese and getting grub for the
boys to get in the hay on. I should like to sit down & help you eat an old
fashioned jonny cake but I am to far off to talk about that now. but if I had the
butter & cheese down here
it would come to something but that also is
to far off. cheese is worth 35 & 40 ct per lb here and every thing accordingly. I
havent got any mail from any of you since the 18 of June there another mail coming in
to day I expect I hope that I shal get some letters from some of you if it is only
the one Charley was going to send a trotting along down here. there is but little
news here that we can depend uppon. there any amount of rumors about richmond and
vickburgh. this morning the repor is that vickburgh is burnt. I hope it is so and if
they would burn confiscate and tear up everything they come to cecession I think
would soon be played out; but as they work down this way it may last as ten years. I
think if our army are succesfull at richm ond that it wil give them a hard blow. as
to our living it is about the same it has been. we have been living without any soft
bread for three weeks but now have got a bakery and have good soft bread part of the
time. I dont know as I can do or send you any thing that can do you any good more
than my best love & wel wishes hoping that we may live to see and help each other
again in this life help each other to a life beyond the skies where trouble never
comes.
I wil send you a few more nedles so that I shant have them to
carry arround not because they are worth any thing but because they are from the
rebels. please except them as a substitute of a presant from your boy soldier. I have
heard that they have called for the 10. 11. & 12 regiments from Vermont. I reckon
that this wil give all the boys a chance to enlist that want to go to war. how is
Alpheus Parker since he got home. I must close this. please write as soon as you get
this. all write often and I wil agree to answer them as fast as I can. tel Charley I
shal remember him soon give mylove to all and except the same your self.
this from your unworthy sonJ. F. Gale
to his (Mother)