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Letters of Francis William Kimble
14th Iowa Infantry, Company 'B'
Presented by the Iowa Civil War Site
Letter excerpts written after the end of the war
Columbia, Ill July 1st, 1865
Mother I guess I will go to Quincy the 4th for they are going to have a
soldiers dinner and a general good time. All of the soldiers are required to
wear their uniform so they can tell who is a soldier. I could enjoy it if
John would come so as to be there to. Sate thinks he is coming home soon for
she hasn't got a letter from him for a long time now.
Columbia, Ill. July 16, 1865
Mother, Sate hasn't got a letter from John yet. I see in the paper yesterday
that Gen Smith's army is in Mississippi and Alabama. Several Ill. veteran
regts has got home. The 50th Ill will be home in a day or two. They are vets.
We are all well at our house at present. Did you forward a letter to me from
Jim Coombs. I got one last knight directed to Iowaville. I answered it to him
at Iowaville today. Sate did not go to Quincy with me. I went on Monday
morning and stayed until the knight of the 4. I did not have a very good time
for it was crowded so. The town was alive with people.
Columbia, Adams Co. Il Sunday August 13, 1865
Mother You wanted to know if I was sick. I am not sick. I don't know of any
person being sick in town but I can hear of someone dieing most every day out
in the country or in some other town. Flux is the trouble. Sary hasn't got
any word from John yet. I am inclined to think he is dead or some misfortune
has happened to him.I wrote a letter to the Lieut Colonel last Tuesday
morning to see if he knew what had become of him. I have been watching the
papers to see if I could learn anything from the regt, but I never see
anything from it. I shouldn't be surprised if it had gone to Texas. I see the
16th corp is going to be mustered out of the service right away. Some of it
is already out. It was 3 months yesterday since John's last letter was dated.
The Columbia soldiers has most all got home again.
Columbia, Adams Co. Il August 30, 1865
Mother We had a big soldiers dinner two miles north of Columbia last Friday.
It was done very well. The soldiers was invited to the first table with their
wives and sweet hearts. You bet I had one. And next the soldiers widows and
orphans all went before the citizens. We had several speeches given from army
officers. Now for the news. Sate and I both got a letter from John Bunn one
week ago last Sat. He is well with the exception of 10 big boils on him that
he said wasn't as nice as some things that he had seen. He was at Pironville,
AL when he wrote . His letters was dated Aug. 3. John said he thought the
regt would be at St. Louis before long. But a lieutenant in Quincy said he
thought the 21st would have to stay its time out.
Columbia, Il Sunday, Sept 24, 1865
Mother Sate got a letter from John a few days ago. He was very sick and in
the hospital at Mobile.
Sarah added a few lines to her mother. She wrote - I heard sad news from
John. I feel very uneasy about him. The one hundred and seventy five dollars
he sent me has not come yet. I expect it is lost.I hope not for I need it so
bad.
Footnote - John Bunn either died while in service or him and Sarah divorced,
as later she married an Abel/Able and traveled by covered wagon to Wash.
state.
Dottie V99@aol,.com
Transcribed and submitted by great great niece
[https://iowa-counties.com/civilwar2/_private/ncrbox.htm]
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The Iowa Civil War Site