Letter from Corporal John Griffith Jones, from Morgan's Bend, to his brother in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, 20 Medi 1864 [page 1 of 4]

Description

This is the last letter John Griffith Jones sends to his family.

He says that he's not in a writing mood today. They were ordered out of the 'Sevent[?]' on Friday night and had an hour's warning before leaving. They set off at seven o'clock in the morning and traveled until two o'clock in the morning having rested only twice. They had to sleep that night on a rubber blanket after drinking coffee and were woken at dawn because the cooks had prepared their breakfast for 5 o'clock in the morning. They had to follow the cavalry for about eight miles until the Colonel received a message telling them to stay where they were until further notice.

John continues to describe the tiring journey back to the camp but says that he didn't see any rebels. A squadron from the cavalry were badly injured.

John tells his brother that he hopes he has decided to stay at home rather than leave. He says that the soldiers are calling the ones who leave home names such as Cowards. He tells him that it's better for him to stay at home and to go to school. He says that all the soldiers are going for Lineolin, Abraham and people are quite certain that he will be elected and are quite certain that there will be no fighting next term other than a few guerillas as there won't be any point in fighting.