Direct your letters to

A. P. Mitchell

Clinton, Iowa

Care of Capt. Lucore

Co. H. 20 Reg. Iowa Volunteers

You can imagine I suppose by your own feelings how anxious I am to hear from you. I enjoy myself here as well as I could in any place provided that I cannot be with you and our little one. We have good fare here aplenty to eat and good enough. Our living consists of potatoes, beans, bread, beef, pork and aplenty of coffee and sugar.

Laurant, Finian, Andres, Patterson, Bill Sawyer and Cyril Clark are our cooks. The bread is bought at the bakers. I have written to William since I cam here. I must write to Father and Mother soon.

You must write to them and the girls. Write me all the news. You must go up home see that everything is right. I do not expect that things will be taken care of as they would be if we were there. I shall write to Andrews soon.

We have meetings here every evening in some of the camps. I shall send you some money as soon as I get it.

I have written to the bottom of the page and have not left room to sing my name, but I expect you would know where it came from without any signature.

Yours Truly

A. P. Mitchell

PS-be sure to describe the Company and Regiment, do not omit to put in Iowa Volunteers, if you should it might go to some other Reg. If it is directed to the Co. & Regiment it will follow us where ever we go.

A. P.

Direct to Aaron P. Mitchell,

Davenport, Iowa

Co. H. 20 Regiment

Iowa Volunteers

Camp Kirkwood Clinton,

Aug 24

My dear Wife:

We are here yet and do not know how long we may stay. We have got our clothes and shall receive our guns and equipment tomorrow. We do not know yet whether we shall get into the 20th Regiment or not and I cannot tell whether we can go home or not yet but I think we shall, some of' us. I shall go if possible.

Some of Corbets Company went home yesterday. I sent my picture by George Beeby, his family lives in the Palmer house, he said he would leave it at the post office. George wrote to Lenora yesterday. Be of good cheer Sarah, enjoy yourself the best you can. Write soon.

Direct to A. P. Mitchell

Clinton, Iowa.

Care of' Capt. Lucore

Camp Kirkwood

Kirkwood is the name of the camp where we are. I must close; will write again as soon as I can. I think it doubtful whether you can read this pencil scribbling but it is the best I can do now. I have not bought any ink because I have had no place to keep such things. We have got things arranged now so that we have a place to keep things, each one by himself.

A.P.M.

P.S. We shall get our pay in a few days and I will send you some money.

Clinton, Aug. 26 62

My Dearest Friend:

I again attempt to write to you a few lines. I shall improve every opportunity for I know you are anxious to hear how I am getting along. I shall write as often as once a week while we stay here and continue to do so whenever I can. We cannot tell anything about when we shall leave here any better than you can. We did not know until yesterday whether we should get into the 20th Regiment or not. We were mustered in yesterday, the name of' our Company is H. The Regiment was yesterday presented with a nice silk flag by a lady from Lyons. There was quite number of Marion folks here yesterday. Lafe Wiggins among the rest. T Corbet was here, he told me he attended that law suit and had it discontinued until I go home, he has also looked into that land affair and he says it is all right, that there is no claim ahead of' mine. I did not suppose there was but I wanted to be sure about it. I cannot tell yet whether I can get a furlough to go home or not. I think the chance is rather small. We do not know anything here 5 minutes before hand. It is reported that we shall get our bounty money today but we cannot tell until we get it. We do not get any war news here, we do not know half as much about the war as you do at home, but we have got a jolly crew. There is about twelve hundred men here now. I wish you could be here to see them, they have got their clothes and guns and equipment. We boxed up our clothes and sent them home this morning. We sent them to St. John, the frieght is paid to Cedar Rapids. I put in two bundles, your must attend to it when they get to Central City. My coat, pants, vest, shirt and two pairs of shoes are in one bundle and one woolen shirt and a pair of cotton drawers in another. I had to buy a shirt before I got my clothes and I thought two woolen shirts would be all that I wanted to be bothered with, the drawers are cotton and I thought it would be too much work to keep them clean. I have one pair here and will get some woolen ones when I need them. Your must write as soon as you get this.

A. P. Mitchell

2 1/2

( This should be numbered 2 1/2 so you can read it in sequence. It is difficult to get and keep these letters in order.)

Camp Kirkwood, Clinton, Aug. 27 l862

My Dear Friend:

This is the fourth letter I have written to you since I came here. I should not have written this but I have a chance to send it directly to you by Bill Sawyer. I cannot possibly go home for the present and perhaps for some time yet. The Colonel of the Regiment would not furlough but 6 men out of our Company. We drawed lots to see who should go and Bill happened to draw the lucky prize and we are all very glad that it was some one that was going so near home. He says he will go and see you or send this directly to you. He cannot stay at home but a few hours. He will have to be back here Friday night. I want you to write to me and send it by Bill. He will have to start back Friday morning. You can get a letter to him Friday morning. Either carry it to Deck Reeds or down to town where he can get it. I could send you some money but I think I had rather send it by mail. I may send some this week so that you will get it next Saturday.

We have drawn our months advance pay which is $13.00. We expect to get our $25.OO bounty money tomorrow and then we will have about $6.OO of State pay that we expect to get in a few days.

I would like to have your pictures and the babies but I would like to have you get another taken for I do not think the one you had taken is a very good one but if yo8 think you cannot get another taken so that you can send it to me some time by mail, I would like to have you send the one you have got by Bill. I would ???????another because the baby looks different from what it did when it was taken.

I must dry up for the drum has beat and we have to blow out our lights within five minutes.

So good by for tonight. I am agoing to send you a picture in a few days taken with my uniform on. the one I sent you was rather a poor one I had it taken in a hurry Thursday Aug. 28.

All well, just ate our own breakfast and Bill is about ready to start. Be sure and send me a letter by B.

Aaron P. Mitchell.

3

Camp Kirkwood

Clinton, Aug. 29 1862

Sarah My Dear Wife:

I have this day drawed lots to go home but my ticket was blank, but Finian is agoing and the best I can do is to write a few lines and it must be done in a hurry for it is now quite late and he will start early in the morning. I am in hopes to get some money in the morning to send to you. I sent $10.00 by Williams, he said he would leave it with Uncle Stephen. I shall send $20.00 by Laurent if I can get it in season. I may be at home in the course 0f a week and I may not. There cannot but six or eight go out of a company at a time. I like soldering first rate but there is nothing here to take my mind from you and the little one. Bills Sawyers furlough is out tonight and the cars has come in and he has not come. I was in hopes to hear from you tonight but have got disappointed. He will probably get here Saturday, that is tomorrow night. I want you to send me my shaving tools by Laurant if you can and I would like to have you send me some kind of a folding fixing to carry needles and pins and such things in. I find that I need such things every day and if it is convenient you may send it. We was visited this morning by two Companies of volunteers from Linn County. They were on their way to Davenport. We do not know yet how long we shall stay here. I think if we go to Davenport that I can get a chance to go home from there but I cannot tell any thing about it for certainty but we are agoing to wind the thing up and all go home in the spring.

Saturday morning Aug 30

I shall not get any money to send home this morning for one of the officers has gone to Marion and the papers are in his trunk.

Send my tooth brush.

P. M.

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