Scofield Barrack, St. Louis, Missouri

September 30^th day, A. D. 1862

Dear brother and sister

I embrace present opportunity to write you. At this time I am in the enjoyment of good health and hoping the few lines will find ______. I expect you be some what surprised to find at getting a letter me after farming some two years ago when I last saw you, you have doubtless heard that I have joined the _________. Well to g back to my enlistment, I will just state that I volentered the twenty-sixth day of July and started to Ft. Des Moines the 2^nd day of August. We stayed at the Hotels something like 10 days, then we went into camp which is called Camp Burnside – we stayed there until the 22^nd day of September. Our regiment was organized in this time and we received $25.00 bounty and $20.00 recruit fund and one months pay we left there 22 as I before stated as Company D. Five campanys of our regiment came on first as far as Eddville, the rest of the regiment was moved by the Western Stage Company. We got to Eddville the 25^th at 8:00 o’clock. I would like to come and see you but it was and impossibility for that evening we was in Keokuk. We stayed in Keokuk the __day and the 27^th started to St. Louis and landed here the 28 evening at 10 o’clock and moved in the Barrack yesterday which was the 29^th day. We are something near the center of the city. We are here for ____Provo Guard for the city of St. Louis as long as we say here we will see easy times – there is something like six houndred rebel prisoners here every thing is very quiet here a person would hardly think that a rebellion was near, but if a person wishes to see the effect of a rebellion. Just go to Keokuk the amount of wounded is astonishing but the sick is on the mend some is going home with their discharge and others is going back to there respective home with there discharge and others is going back to there respective regiments. I was some what surprised to see Levi Broohars and Lewis Main and Charles Main at Keokuk. They belong to the 26^th regiment. Marion Duke is Lieutenant Colenil of the 2^nd. I have not heard from home for quite a length of time but I guess it is on account of the male job. Angaline has been punctual in writing to me as she is a good faithful wife to me when at home I am not in the habit of braging but I think I have the pretiest wife and little daughter there is in 11 states well maybe. Samuel will tell you my opinion of the difference between staying at home and in the army. My opinion of the difference between staying at home and in the the army my opinion this that if you have any notion of farming then you had better take a fools advise and stay at home for there is young men that can go and the men or families stay at home – my positen I like very well but there is something confining about it that a person of nature does not partake freely. I do not write this to dicourage you in the cause of in our Country I would not write to every body it is not calculation at fight for the Union and hope we can by hard fighting just down this acursed rebellion so that when we return home we can enjoy peace happyness and prosperity and if our supior officers is not working for the money then there Country we will get it done before the ariving of next September. I want you to write me as soon as you can get this and tell me now how you are getting along at the present time and how the drafting affected the people of that Country for my staying here I cannot tell, we may stay a month or longer and we may stay a month or longer and we may stay until ___ing for when wee was at Keokuk our Colenal got a dispatch for to stay there until further orders and it was not 12 hours before he got a dispatch to go to Louisville, Kentucky and when wee got here wee got further orders and it was to stay here. I believe I have written you all the news for the presant I would like for you to answer this and I will still write to you. You must forgive me for telling you when I was home I would write to you. You need not think I did not think enough of you to write for it would be a mistake. It was my neglect and not dislike but remember me and write…., good buy for the present, from your brother Aquillia Standifird to Samuel and Sarah Sears. Direct your letter to Aquilla Standifird.

January 26, 1863

Allon Origon County, Missouri

Dear brother and sister and family,

I received your most kind letter of the 3 which came to hand a few hours since with one from Ann and El___which was_____. I have not got a letter from any person fore 3 weeks and begin to despair for fear that the male would not get too us again. I am well and hardy at present and those few lines came to hand may find you all enjoying good health. Well I received your letter you wrote before but was at this time out of postage stamps so I did not write. But I will write you a long one this time so it pay up. Well Sarah you wished to know my whereabouts. We left Rtteeson the 20^th of December and arrive at Vanbruon, Currant River, Carter County the 24. So wee stayed there until the 1^st day of January and crossed the river and camped on the bluff clost to the river this stream is quite a stream at that point we crossed on a pontoon bridge. Wee stayed there until the ___received orders to march to Donathan some 35 miles further down the river so after one hard days march the order was countermanded and turned around and came back going about 3 miles west of Vanbruon and camped. The camp was _____so will stay there until the 12^th and started on again and it was raining like satan and if you ever saw mudy roads in Iowa you can but imagine how they was so it comensed snowing that night so wee layed still the 15 and the 16^th again resumed our march and arrived here the 18^th but the morning of the 18 wee was crossing eleven point creek on some hills of logs which the coleral and about 100 men layed the evening before from rock to rock which nature had erected some 3 feet above the watter and it was cold and the hills was icy so it was very dangerous the watter ever so swift and in crossing one of our men fell off and drowned his name was Joseph Cavindce he was a good and obedient soldier. He was not found. Well as fore one regiment it is very much cut down by the measels they privats and on non-commtioned officer and one 2^nd Lient James B. Ormsby absent sick and 3 privats was detailed to go with the forage trains yesterday and they fell behind when the teames started back so they had not got up yet. Expect they have been gobled up as the boys say but they will learn better next time. Our Captain name is James W. Glasgow our first Lient Hiram Evans one Col name William H. Kinsman, Lient Col Samuel L. Glasgow and Marjor J. C. Clark one Bergadier General Davidson wee are the first Division and 2n^d brigade under said Bergadier General Davidson new acting ___General. Our Lient just told me that we was _____to General Warren but I do not know wee all to concentrate with Blunt so when wee all get together there will be a force of 15000 and about 200 pieces of artilery so it will be quite and army there is no ___close or any great number a few gurilars that is roving around in the hills and mountains. I think our next point will be Batesville, Arkansas our train is behind there is three hundred behind. They are between here and Vanuron some place but I do not expect they will be here fore a few days for the creeks is up to over floeing it has been raining for two days and one night. Well as fore myself I am getting very well. I have the confidence of our company. I have no difficulty with the boys as yet and do not expect to and any person can get along if they do there duty a lazy soldier is not worth a five dollar bill of the confederat money which sells here at 5 cts to the dollar and some times fore nothing one of the boys give me $15.00 of it a few minutes ago wee have not payed for five months. There is 5 months due us now and do not know when wee will get payed off. But it does not make any difference fore we could not get it home with out grate danger of loosing it. Eleanor wrote to me that Minja and George and Edward had joing the Methodist. They had a revival there and held at Minja house. Well I guess he will visit you.

I was to day elected captain of the Grand River Township Company, Wayne County, State Militia of the State of Iowa.

We drilled part of the time in Grand River Township and part of the time in Clinton Township. Drilled every two weeks and kept watch for any act or move by those who were inclined to be disloyal to the Union and guard against any move made by the rights of the Golden Circle, and organization in sympathy with south. Our watchfulness kept them from dong any thing which would cause their arrest. We disbanded after the close of the war April 1865, and turned over our armies and equipment to the State of Iowa. I did not receive one cent for time spent, for responsibility for equipment.