This letter was signed by a soldier named “Wellington” and addressed to his father but beyond that, I’ve not been able to identify him. He appears to have been in temporary duty with his squadron in Iuka while the remainder of his regiment was stationed in Tuscumbia. He also informs us that he anticipated being issued revolving rifles soon which led me to believe he might be with the 2nd Iowa Cavalry but I could not find a member by that name.

Transcription

Iuka [Mississippi]
August 30, 1862

My Dear Father,

I have just received your letter of 24th and I never was so surprised to think that Cap has enlisted. Now Father, do get him home. I wrote you for a commission. Get it in that regiment if you can. If [not], let it alone. But Father, get him home. He may stand it. There is barely a chance. You know that you thought that I could not stand it but I have stood it as well as any man. But if I can get a place in that regiment, I can look after him and get him some place beside a private and then it will not be so bad for him. But if you can not do it, get him out if he will stay at home. If he will not, you had better let him go but Father, it is going hard with you. I cannot bare to think of it. I wish you had not wrote of it for I cannot be satisfied or content here. Before I was. I never had anything take me down as that did.

I am very well and so is the rest of us. I wrote you about our company in my last. We have been out and had a brush with the rebels and killed two and burnt nine houses. You may think this hard but it is just for if there is a soldier out of camp, he is shot or hung right up and you see this is the only way we can stop it for it is none but the citizens that do these things. Before we done this, there was from one to two killed every day and since we done this, it has been stopped.

We have a good deal of scouting to do but I like it for we have a chance to see a good deal of country. I do not know how long we will stay here but think we will go to our regiment at Tuscumbia but do not know when. We expect to get revolving rifles pretty soon. I have wrote you three letters. I write every time I get one from home and sometimes oftener but I am afraid that you do not get them. All of our teams are drove by darkeys. It is a good help. From Wellington