The following late war letter was written by William Wiley Jones (1839-1918), the son of John and Susan (Emberton) Jones who came to Sullivan County, Missouri from Monroe County, Kentucky in the early 1840s.

William enlisted in Co. E, 42nd Missouri (Union) Infantry at the time of its organization in September 1864. The regiment was sent to Tullahoma, Tennessee in the Department of the Cumberland in December 1864 and assigned as an unattached unit to the 20th Army Corps. In March, 1865, when this letter was written, the regiment had just arrived in Shelbyville, Tennessee, where they were garrisoned for the remainder of the war and performed picket duty on the Duck River Bridge. They mustered out in late June 1865. During its service, the regiment lost six enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 124 to disease for a total of 134 casualties.

[Note: The scans of this letter were provided to Spared & Shared for transcription and publication by Reta McCollum Riley, a 2nd great-granddaughter of the soldier.]

Transcription

Shelbyville, Tennessee
March 19, 1865

My dear Josephine,

I this beautiful Sabbath morning avail myself of the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well [and] hoping this may find you and the children in the full enjoyment of good health.

I have nothing new or interesting to communicate at this time. We left Tullahoma on the 15th and arrived here on the 17th. We are now stationed for a while I think and it may be until our time is out. Anyway, I am very well satisfied to stay here until my time is out.

This is a beautiful place and I would rather stay here than any place I have been at since we left Missouri. The boys who you were acquainted with are all well and doing fine. I will tell you that I am now writing on my picket post. We are at a bridge on picket and no one is allowed to leave town without a pass and it keeps me busy reading them, I stop some of the finest Southern ladies who have their Negro boys by their side driving their buggies and have them to show their pass.

Sam has gone to meeting. I am now in the country that J. M. Conch was from. I would love to be at home today but that can’t be so at this time, but I live in hopes that they day will soon roll around when I can return to you and my dear little children who I long to see with the fondness of a loving husband and father. May God in His tender mercies spare me to reach home to spend the remainder of my life with my family.

I have not had a letter from home for a long time. The last one I got was from you dated February 23rd. This will make the third one I have written since I got that one. I have not got any pay yet and I don’t know when I will.

Josephine, I want you to keep in good spirits and not get out of heart on account of my absence. But put your trust in God and remember that every day counts one and six months more I think I will be at home with you, never to be parted again—only by death. I want you to be a good girl to your old Father & Mother & help them all you can this summer.

I will have to quit and go and read some more passes. Kiss Eda for me and tell her that she is three years old about this time for it is about 12 o’clock. Learn her and Victor to remember me if Eda ever wants to see Pa. Give my respects to all our relatives and friends and write soon. Direct to Co. E, 42nd Missouri Infantry Vols., Shelbyville, Tennessee

So no more but remain as ever yours, from your husband, 00 Mr. Wm. W. Jones

to Josephine Jones, his wife

Co. E, 42nd Mo., Infantry Vols., Shelbyville, TN