Camp Wickliffe, Ky., Letters of Pvt. Sam T. Smith, 15th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment

February 9, 1862

Camp Wickliffe, Kentucky

Mrs.Smith, My Dearest and Beloved Companion

I am well at this present time hoping when thse few lines come to hand they may find you and the children well and hearty. I have not recieved a letter from you for some time. When the mail comes in of an eveing I look with anxious eyes, but when the letters are called there is none for S.T. Smith it makes me very sad to think that I cannot get a letter from you nor any one else. I am certain that I have written three letters to you that I have not got answers to yet, and Leon never thinks about writing. I don't think I have got a letter from him in a long time. If you all knew how much good it did me to read a letter, you would write oftener than you do. If you have nothing to write only that you are well and your named signed to it it would do me a great deal of good. I have nothing of interest to write, but I will do the best I can. I have not recieved my boots and socks yet. Now I don't expect to get them. I am going to try to get the pay for them. I want Leon to make me another pair as quick as he can and send them to me. If he will direct them as I have told him they will come through safe. And I would like for you to send me some more socks as I did not get them that you did send. Some low retch I guess is keeping his nasty dirty feet warm with the socks and the boots that I ought to have had two weeks ago. They came to New Haven the 16th of last month and the sutter of the Regiment recieved and receipted for them and that is the last of them. I sent to the Express Agent and got a certificate showing that he did get them, and I am going to try to make him pay for them. If you would send me something to eat when Leon sends my boots it would please me very much even if it was nothing more than some dried peaches or anything in the way of something that would keep until it would get here. If you have plenty of provisions send me something, and if you have not, keep what you have got and get all you can for I have plenty such as it is, but I would like to have somethig new. We have a change of diet here Coffee and Crackers and bacon for breakfast, for dinner Bacon, coffeee and crackers and for Super we have coffee, bacon and crackers. Sometimes beef and sometimes we get two messes of potatoes per week. All these changes of grubb (are) nourishing and healthy and there's plenty of it, and I am able to partake of it when it comes around. So I have no right to complain, but if I could get something from you, it would be very pleasant. Tell Uncle Milton if he will send me two or three plugs of the best Virginia tobacco I will pay him the first opportunity as the article is very high here and none very good at that. i want you to go to Wee Shorts and get me a dose of pills and send them to me. I want a good many of them. Have them put in a tin or some other strong box. The pills tht I want is the kind we use to get there that act on the liver. I want directions on how to take them. They don't have any medicine that I will take,

Signed: Sam T. Smith