Letter written by J. E. Thomas from [Arsenal?], Missouri to Dr. White on June 28, 1861

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PAGE IMAGE[Asenal?]Mo (Missouri) ([Asenal?], Missouri)
June 28th / 61 Dr White (White (Doctor))

Once more I
proceed to answer yours which
I received today
we left the arsenal last tuesday on
boaed the [J. C. Sivan?] and landed
that night about ten o clock at
cape Garideaw which is about
one hundred and sixty miles down
the river. There were about five
hundred of us and we mustered
in about three hundred of home
guards at the cape and armed
them to guard the boat. We then
marched the same night for a
town in Mo (Missouri) (Missouri) by the name of
Jackson (Jackson, Missouri) about ten miles from
the cape got there about sunrise
and on we were marching into
the town on the [ow?] ride the

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PAGE IMAGE Ememy was retreating from the
other ride on the double quick
time I never saw a set of
people so badly frightened in
my life as those which remained
they looked deathly pale and trembled
like they had a hard spell of
the ague We did not persue (pursue) the troops
any further but we took fifty or sixty
prisners (prisoners) of the remaining inhabitants
who all pled innocence and claimed
to be Unionists they took the oath
and were released all except one
that had the uniform on he could
not lie out of it as a great many
others did (no dought (doubt)) so we brought
him and his horse home with us
We searched the town doing as little
damage as possible found about seven
hundred dollars in value which
was to be appropriated to the service
We hawled (hauled) down their flag and hoisted
the stars and stripes. The palmetto
flag was toren (torn) into a thousand.

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PAGE IMAGE pieces you will find a piece
this letter. There was only about
one hundred and fifty of the enemy
but it is supposed that they are making
for Grenville (Greenville, Missouri) to join the troops
there.
I received that recommendation
and I thank you very kindly for
it I have got the position of nurse
but I have not had anything in that
line to do yet for our men were
all in good health during our excursion
and there was not a gun fired
nor a man hurt in any way.
My duties are to compound and issue
medicine from the Dr's orders, and
assist him when needed but in
no care but our own company
My wages are twenty dollars per
month. I am exempt from all
[exten-?] duties such as guarding and [extry?]
perrade (parade) and also company drill if
I chouse (choose)

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PAGE IMAGE In refference (reference) to that machine. I
would rather you would sell it
than to loan for this loaning such
things as that I always thought was
a bad idea and I should need one
again it will take but a few days
to make a better one than that is
The machine is worth about ten dollars
but if you can get seven dollars ($7.00) for
it take it and you can let them have
the twine and bundles at what they
cost me at St Louis (St. Louis, Missouri) the purple twine
cost fourty (forty) cents per pound the light
collared (colored) heavy cost thirty cents. The
handles cost one dollar and fourty (forty) cents
per hundred at St Louis (St. Louis, Missouri) . you may
pay the money to the two Widows, after
you pay the Widow Rickenson (Rickenson (widow)) , then pay
the Widow Mcrandal (Mcrandal (widow)) So no more
Write soon

Yours J. C. Thomas (Thomas, J.C.)