Part 23 of 25 in Civil War Letters of Algernon H. Scribner. The date below is the letter’s historical date; the article retains the collection’s publication date.
Letter transcription
Joseph Knight to David M. Scribner, 13 June 1864 Envelope addressed to Mr. David M. Scribner, Windham Hill, Maine, Care of Jason Webb Esq. Postmark is illegible
[Dateline] Morganza Bend Lea on the Mississippi River, June 13th '64 Friend David,
At the request of Algernon I will try and let you know how he is for he says he has not wrote you since he was at Alexandria and now I will come to what you want to hear the most and that is how he is for you must think something excites him by his not writing himself. Algernon on the marches got tired out and got the diarrhea on to him and it has taken him down so that he is poor and weak so much so that he cannot set up to write but I think he looked better this morning than he has for some time but one spell I guess - he was some [illegible word] home sick and that will take a man down quicker than anything else.
He wants you to write to him as soon as you get this for it will do him a good deal of good to hear from home. I will see to him the best that I can and write as often as he wants me to till he gets so he can write for himself. My health is good and the health of most of the boys are good. We have got a pretty good chance here on the river but it is hot weather here and we have had three or four showers a day for two weeks past and such showers as you seldom see in Maine.
As the mail man is after the mail I must close. Yours in haste
Joseph Knight Co. G, 29th Me. Regt.
Source
Transcribed by Jean F. Hankins in 2011 for the Otisfield Historical Society, with permission of owner Hal Ferguson of Otisfield. Original spelling, uncertain readings, and editorial notes are retained.
Read the original transcription (PDF, starting on page 23).