Another fortunate opportunity ???? to you upon paper such information as I am possessed of as I think may be interesting to you and I am thankful to the giver of all blessings for it. I told you in the last letter ???? that the Regiment ???? instead of going to Kentucky we were sent to this place called Ironton or Pilot Knob 83 miles South of Saint Louis by R. Road then by foot to a picturesque and Romantic country Ironton is situated between high mountains in a valley ???? a mile across through which runs several as beautiful streams of clear crystal water as the human eye ever looked upon or the pallet ever tasted. Then Pilot Knobb has long been known and celebrated for its inexhaustible springs of Iron Ore and the southern terminus of the Iron Mountain R.R. We passed through the Iron Mountains which is about 77 miles south of St. Louis or 6 miles North of Ironton the day we left St. Louis we traveled about 2 miles on the best portion of the City on our horses to the Iron Mountain R. Road whare we shipped our horses and effects to this place and we came ???? We had good luck with our passage +c. We arrived here about 2 oclock A.M. of the seventh and we spent a cold and disagreeable time of it but when the sun ???? yesterday it became warmer and has been pleasant ever since we have no snow here but it freezes solid through the night but the grounds is not ???? any worth speaking off. It is supposed that there are some secessionists here and there are the affects of war to be seen here such fortifications cannon +c These secessionists built them principally to take and hold the R Road and ???? +c some time last fall some 6 hundred of them made and assault on about one hundred at a nearby post stationed at the ???? Road Bridge on the Merrimack River between here and St. Louis and overpowered them killing some and taking 40 prisoners I saw today a soldier of the 33rd Regiment of Illinois who was in the fight and was wounded in three places - Gen Price and Army have been here and a large amount of scouts has been ???? him. We are now scouting the county with our Picket scouts. We do not know how soon we will have a brush with them there are all about us ???? in doing to be prepared for them [horse and] soldiers are scattered all along the Road to St. Louis in the immediate vicinity there are now about two thousand. We have cannon in Companies on the tops of the (Bluffs) mountains which surround the valley. We can not say when we will leave here we may go to morrow or we may remain here for months - Through the blessings of God we are in possession of good health. John Allen has a bad cold otherwise he is well and his horse is doing well. Joseph Enterkine is also well his horse dose not do well - John Allen requested me to state that he wants you to let his wife see this letter and he wants her to write to him the same as if he had written to her. As Joseph Allen went or started for home We are anxious to here if he got home safe I want you to write often and if you have not sent me a letter stating about the money we sent you I want you to state that to I sent you 40 Dollars by Express to Clay City and [1] dollar in a letter to you + my [likeness] and a locket. John Allen sent to his wife 5 Dollars in a letter. Thompson Vandevier told to J. Entirkin that the money I sent you was at Clay City so if you have not got it you had better go after it.
Direct your letters to me
Ironton - or - Pilot Knob
Washington Co
Missouri
5th Reg. Cav. Ill in care of R. Schill, Capt.
