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Letters of Francis William Kimble
14th Iowa Infantry, Company 'B'
Presented by the Iowa Civil War Site
Letter number Ten.
Cairo, Illinois May 10, 1863
Respected Mother, its once more I am seated to let you know that I am well at
present. And still in good spirits. Mother the health of the camp is very
good at present. Much better than I anticipated for when we landed at this
point for we expected a great deal of sickness. Changing climates so sudden
that we expected to have a great deal of sickness, but to our great surprise
we have been blest with health. I believe that we put one man in the hospital
at the present time. And I hope that we may continue to be blest with health
while in the army. For I find that health is a great pleasure and blessing to
a soldier that is battling for the glorious old flag. For he has enough hard
times to try his mind and nerve. A soldier's life is a hard life. But
nevertheless we must stand up for our country in this time of peril. Let it
cost what it may for if we stop now all hope of saving our country is lost.
But I must stop this or you will think that I am a going to make a stump
speech. Well Mother it is Sabbath afternoon and a very pleasant day it is.
For there is a cool breeze blown all day which makes it very pleasant.Well
Mother there has been very hard fighting near Fredricksburg and nothing
gained. But we have news to knight that Richmond is taken. The boys would
like to believe it but cannot til further news. Well Mother there is a great
many copperheads here. They got to cutting? their extras about 40 miles from
here at a little town called Jonesborough. Our lieutenant Col took 150 men
and went up there.They have taken 100 prisoners. Mother the rebels attacked a
point by the name of Cape Girardean. Well the Union boys flogged them, of
course. Mother we could hear the cannon which sounded like distant thunder.
Mother, Cairo is a very low place. There is a levee thrown ____? that is
about 7 miles in circumference. Yet the water gets in town. When we landed
here the water was so high that I rode over half the town in a skiff. But a
larger portion of it has dried off again. Eliza it made me think of home the
first day of May for the citizens had a May Day celebration. I kinda thought
of home.
Well Dad I saw Bill Evans the other day. He sent his best respects to you. I
saw him in the hospitable city of Memphis. He belongs to the 30th regt. We
have been mustered for pay the last day of April. Well Mother our captain
resigned in St.Louis, MO. Our 2nd lieutenant makes just a good a one. Mother
why didn't you answer my letter that I wrote at Davenport. I was glad to hear
my money got through safe. I want to know how much freight was on that box of
clothes. So no more, but remain your son.
F. W. Kimble to M.A. Kimle
Dottie [email protected]
Transcribed and submitted by great great niece
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Iowa In the Civil War
