Jonas H. Roe
November 8, 1862
  
  

  Nov. 8th 1862  
  Helena, Phillips Co. Arkansas  

My Dear Wife,
          I received yesterday a letter from you dated Oct. 30th and I assure you that I was very thankful to the writer. It brought the cheering intelligence that you + our dear children were in possession of good health. I am happy to inform you that my health has recovered. You can tell Mr. Joseph Enterkin that I have improved very fast indeed since I last saw him. I think that I am as sick as I ever was (??)Mr. James Martin of Mount Erie (fold in paper makes illegible) the skirmish the 22 of Oct. died the next day after Enterkin left for home. He was shot in the back with buckshot. Some of the shot could not be got out and the part mortified before he died. James Martin and A.M. Kinkade died within fifteen or twenty minutes of each other and was buried in the same grave. One of the other of the men that was wounded at time James Martin was died one or two days after he died. All of our prisoners taken at that time have returned from Little Rock. They were Parolled(?) they having lost all of their horses and horse equipments that morning that they had with them. They state that the Secess treated them well or at least as well as in their power to treat them. They had nothing to eat for the first 30 hours but parched corn Fr---? Beef without any salt parched corn and occasionally some corn bread and sugar composed their whole fair during their entire abcence. They had no coffee or tea-nothing but cold water for their drink. They were I think very thankful to get the privileges of returning to their Reg. again. We have skirmished as usual about daily now. Our encampment on the east side of the River was attacked yesterday. They were skirmishing some all day and last night. I do not know how many was (fold line illegible) 60 secess prisoners--(firearms on?) We are constantly on the alert here on our side. Pickets are obliged to sit on their horses while standing guard. We stand two hours at a time I go on guard every fourth day. We are expecting an attack. A large force of about five thousand with some 8 or 10 cannon started out to Cotton Plant last Thursday morning to attack a force of Rebels that is reported to be there. Cotton plant is the place where the Battle was fought on the 6th of last July when we were marching down here. We have not heard anything from them since they started but I assure you they will give a good account of themselves: Celina I told you in the letter I sent you by Jos. Enterkin that the Rebels got my horse and horse equipment Oct. 22nd. I also told in said letter that I intended to (?illegible) a horse But since then I came to the conclusion to buy one + I bought a very good four year old sorrel horse perfectly sound in every particular for forty dollars and a whole horse equipments for ten amounting altogether to fifty dollars. I agreed to pay forty dollars next pay day and ten the next so I can not send you more than ten dollars the next pay day unless I get pay for my horse and equipments + I do not hardly expect pay then. I expect to get pay sometime for them however. We have built a very comfortable log house with a fireplace in it If we can remain here this winter we will be pretty comfortable. About the time you mention of its snowing in Ill. It also snowed here. It is cold and disagreeable nights and mornings. Mr. + John Allen bought(brought?) each of us an overcoat-the same kind that we sent home. We would have sent after our overcoats but we were afraid that we might loose them + the coats are worth nine dollars anywhere. If you can get seven or eight dollars for that overcoat of mine you can sell it-perhaps Price or Sloat will buy it. Do not sell it for less than seven dollars. You had better buy some winter apples + be careful and do not let them freeze. I want you to stay at home with Mother, Alice, John, and Harriet + go to school learn all that you can + be a good girl. I will send you a locket as soon as I can Alice, John, and Hatty I want you to be good children + love + obey your Mother. She is very good to you. I will come home soon as I can. farewell
                      I am your loving husband
                              J.H. Roe

N.B. John Allen requests me to state that his health was never better than it is now. Tell Enterkin that Sam Br(own?) is back to his position + (Sam?) Watts has been appointed second Lieut.

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