This letter was written by 2nd Lieutenant Jeremy Hall (1835-1910) who served in Co. B, 21st Missouri Infantry. Jeremy enters the service as the 1st Sergeant of his company but assumed command of the company at Chawalla, Tennessee on 12 July 1862 and received his commission on 11 October 1862.

Jeremy was the son of Abraham Hall (1802-1872) and Mary Ward (1810-1881) of Cherry Creek, Chautauqua county, New York.

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St. Louis, Missouri
December 15th 1862

Dear friends at home,

It was with pleasure that I received your kind letter stating that you was all in the land [of the living] yet. It found me well and hearty. I would like to come and stay with you this winter but I cannot for I am the only officer that is commissioned in the company and I have to stay with them all the time. If I get through the service [alive], I will come and see you and stay long enough to make up the past. We started from Canton the 10th of this month and got here last night and we had a hard time for it rained all the while and it is very muddy. I think we will go South in a few days. Where? I do not know.

Tell John M___ that I wish [him] great pleasure. There is no more at present. — Jeremy Hall

to all at home