Jonas H. Roe October 9, 1862

		1862
Dear Wife	Helena Phillips Co. Arkansas	Oct 9th

          I received your Letter to day dated the 13th containing a Letter from Nelly I was very glad indeed to hear from you and sister Nelly and to learn that you were all enjoying good health excepting aunt Nellys Jason It is singular that you to not get more Letters from me. I write almost one a week on an average I Received a payment on the 9th and Expressed to you Twenty dollars in care of Justice Beach to Clay City John Allen also expressed thirty dollars the same way I sent you a Letter containing the Note that I gave to William Greave for the black horse I paid the last payment after I got this payment amounting to Twenty four dollars I hope if you have not answered the last letter before you get this you will immediately let me know if you have got the money or not I think that here after I will be able to send you at least forty dollars every pay day. I advised you in my last letters to hire your wood cut and hauled sufficient to last you through the winter now while the roads are good send the children to school all that you can furnish them with good shoes. You said that John Allen stated that I was sick and consequently you expected me home on a Furlough I have been sick with the dysintery but I have never been sick enough to go to the Hospital I am well now or nearly so I was out on a scout yesterday + rode not less than 40 miles We got in the vicinity of the Rebels but we could not get none last Saturday week a short time before day the rebels attacked one of our Picket Posts and took the 42 men that were on guard all prisoners. We followed the next morning + over took the rebels + killed some and took some prisoners amoung the prisoners was one Leut. Col. one Major one Captain some none commissioned officers and privates in fact we scirmish almost daily with the secess. One half of this army has left here One Division went to the south west Missouri to Join Gen Schofield's force and One Division went to Kentucky and the other two divisions under Gen Carr remain here for the present to guard this Post. We have built a good Fort here since we came here and we have six or 8 gunboats here and I think we will hold the Post under any circumstances many think that the enemy will give us Battle shortly here and we are now thoroughly prepaired for them I think if they attack us that they will get as badly whipped as they did at Corinth on the 6 of of October
You talked that we were getting badly whipped I can not think so we are now thoroughly prepaired to wage a vigorous fall Campaign and I think that before Christmas Richmond will be ours Charlestown Savannah Mobile and Vicksburgh will also be ours I predict that by the first day of 1863 the Rebellion will be put down but before it goes down many thousand of our best citizens will be numbered with the dead This war is without a paralel either in modern or ancient History both parties seems perfectly reckless of human life The Battles of the old Revolutionary war dwindle into nothing in comparrison with some of the Battles of this war in some of the large Battles each side have over one hundred cannon I believe I am fighting in a holy and righteous war and I believe that God will bless our arms and that we will come out victorious. Celina I am anxious to see you and my dear Children. kiss them for their Father. We are stationed here to guard this post we may remain here until spring I will try and get a Furlough to come home if we are stationed here all winter (about Christmas or New Years) if I am well please answer this directly write once a week without failling
I am your affectionate Husband
Celina Roe                               J.H. Roe

[in pencil] Wm Knapp died I think on last Thursday night. he had been sick a long time with Bilious fever and dysentery but he was supposed to be better and going home. He probably died with a conjistive chill