DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Anson R. Butler letters, 1861-1900

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Anson R. Butler letters, 1861-1900

1862-12-24 Page 3

J.A. Hide better, Betty not much better. Wm. English well. J.F. Morgan pretty well now. Well none of them are very sick and all in good spirits. We have "sow belly" & hard crackers with coffee & sugar for our fare, and are as dirty as pigs. The river is rising is now at good stage of water & the weather fine. Sun Shines fair & warm, so that shirt sleeves is enough & nights too warm with 2 blankets over us. O how I wish this war was done & I think it will be by spring. Every thing speaks well for it, we think. As to your matters, Do as well as you can without more money for I can't see when I'll send you any. We may be paid by middle of Jan, but may not. Get the wood as you best can save money. And get what you can to help pay the interest & taxes if I don't send some before they must be paid . The only trouble is that if they are not paid when due they draw interest, but I'll send as soon as I can. A little after noon we passed Columbia Ark. a small town somewhat destroyed and a little later Greenville, Miss. rather a pretty place about as large as Camanchee. went on down nearly all night and now Christmas morning I find we are at anchor in the middle of the river. while tied up to the Louisiana shore. I can count 75 steamboats strung along for 3 miles.

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J.A. Hide better, Betty not much better. Wm. English well. J.F. Morgan pretty well now. Well none of them are very sick and all in good spirits. We have "sow belly" & hard crackers with coffee & sugar for our fare, and are as dirty as pigs. The river is rising is now at good stage of water & the weather fine. Sun Shines fair & warm, so that shirt sleeves is enough & nights too warm with 2 blankets over us. O how I wish this war was done & I think it will be by spring. Every thing speaks well for it, we think. As to your matters, Do as well as you can without more money for I can't see when I'll send you any. We may be paid by middle of Jan, but may not. Get the wood as you best can save money. And get what you can to help pay the interest & taxes if I don't send some before they must be paid . The only trouble is that if they are not paid when due they draw interest, but I'll send as soon as I can. A little after noon we passed Columbia Ark. a small town somewhat destroyed and a little later Greenville, Miss. rather a pretty place about as large as Camanchee. went on down nearly all night and now Christmas morning I find we are at anchor in the middle of the river. while tied up to the Louisiana shore. I can count 75 steamboats strung along for 3 miles.