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File: 27AUG65.doc
Path: My Documents \ Word Files
Subdir: Felkner
Source: SC2026, Felkner
Locate: Wis. Hist. Society
                                                                        Lawrence, Kansas
                                                                        August 27th 1865
My Dear Wife
           
            It is a long time since I have written to you and I know you have been impatient to receive a letter.  There has been no communications for the past six weeks between Fort Scott and the civilized world and that is the reason I have not written.  On the mail route between Paola and Fort Scott there are some half dozen streams to cross over which their are no bridges.  These streams are nearly dry in dry weather and are easily forded, but in wet weather they are very deep and rapid.  Since about the 15th of July it has rained almost every day until about the 10th of August.  Some of these streams were forty feet deep and of course impassable and from the 15th of July until we left Fort Scott on the 20th of August no mail left the Fort.  Two mails were brought in by private conveyance of which I received two letters from you, one containing Lilly's photograph which is all the mail we have had during that time. 

Our Reg't has been ordered from Fort Scott to Lawrence and we started for this place the 20th inst. and are here now.  What our destination is I do not know.  We hope to me mustered out but I am afraid we shall have to remain in the service sometime longer.  Oh how much I want to get home and see you and Lill again.  It seems as though I should get well if I could get home once more.  Since I wrote you I have had a hard time.  I had got strong enough to walk around without a cane but the wet weather came on and seemed to take all the strength from me.  It also set me into a diarrhea from which I have not yet recovered.  I found I must either die or leave camp and get a dry place to sleep.  So I went over to the city to board the 27th of July & since then I have been slowly gaining.  Since the rainy season the weather has been intensely hot.   The thermometer ranging day after day from 90 to 100 degrees.  I am very weak and nervous yet, but if we are mustered out and I get home this fall I know I can get my strength and health again.  We arrived here yesterday and shall probably head for Fort Leavenworth to morrow or next day. 

Do not write until you hear from me again.  If we are not mustered out I will write you where to direct and if we are I will get to you sooner than a letter I assure you.  How have you got along my dear sis all this long time.  I expected to be able to send you some money before this time but not a cent of pay have we got yet.  And I know you must have needed some before this time.  If we are not mustered out we shall be paid as soon as we get to Fort Leavenworth and I will send you some by the first mail. 

How do Alf and Hattie and Lang & William & his wife all get along.   What are Alf and Land doing and how is Lang's health.  We left Willie Reed, Phil Reed & Mr. Pepper in the hospital at Fort Scott.  Willie & Phil I do not think are dangerously ill, in fact they both were nearly well enough to ride in the ambulance.  But I am afraid Pepper is going to have the fever.  If he does, it will go hard with him.  I am afraid his constitution is not strong enough to stand it.  How sweet Lilly looked in the picture.  Dear little girl.  I thought a good many times about three or four weeks ago that I should never see her or her mother again.  You complained in your letter that my letters were rather cool.  Well I think they probably are but you need not expect anything better until I get better than I am now or have been.  It is pretty hard to work to write a good letter when one is hardly able to hold a pen.  I hope you may never have to test it by experience as I have done.  I have always written as good a letter to you as I was able to write.   My dear wife, if you could have seen how feeble I have been and how hard to write it has been, you would have spared that cool remark at the close of your letter.  As soon as I ascertain what is to become of us I will write you again and if we are mustered out I shall soon be at home and then we will have one happy time.  Kiss Lill for me and I hope to kiss you again soon.

                                                Charley