Letter written by Henry N. Shepard from Camp Towner to his friend Henry D. Marsh on November 17, 1861

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PAGE IMAGECamp TownerNov 17, 61 Dear Friend Marsh (March, Henry D.) ,

Your welcome
letter was received by me in due
time and found me as when
I last wrote busily engaged in
military duty. I think when I last
wrote you we were at this place,
about 45 miles west of St Louis,
on the S.W. Branch of the Pacific
R.R. engaged in the unpoetical
duty of guarding bridges from the
ravages of the "secesh". I was surprised
to hear that old father time had laid
his hand so heavily upon you.
What a venerable appearance you must
present. The snows of 30 odd winters
resting heavily upon your head
Methinks I see you now encased
in the old calico dressing gown

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PAGE IMAGE bustling around the room inflicting
a stroke here and there
upon the devoded heads of your
refractory pupils. Or to go back
still further, methinks I see
you in the corner room S.
Colon at the old Union busily
engaged in a game of chess
with H. Wheaton (Wheaton, H.) , or Hon Mr
Auten (Auten (Mr.)) or your humble servant
for a partner. By the way
I pass away many hours of
camp life very busily engaged in
playing chess. We are not yet
engaged in very active service
owing to the reason that we
have not yet any very serviceable
aims. We are now armed
with the old pattern of musket
the locks of which are very unserviceable
and they are otherwise defective.

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PAGE IMAGE During the course of the
week we expect to receive the
Minie Musket lates style. with
other equipments complete. Then we
expect to be ordered to "old Kentucky
shore". Our regiment is destined
to be one of the crack
regiments of the West. We now
have our uniform complete.
light sky blue pants, dress coat,
blue blouse, with brass buttons,
tall black hat with plume and
ornaments. Overcoat dark grey
with brass buttons, cape &c A week
ago last Saturday we received our
first wages earned in the service
of Uncle Sam. There was nearly
three months pay due to us.
We received our pay in U.S.
Treasury notes. The change in gold
and silver. Since then money

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PAGE IMAGE has gone pretty freely with some
of the boys Several of them, myself
among the number. I sent
to St Louis by our orderly for bolts
Revloving pistols. Mine is a splendid
one. barrel 4 1/2 in 5 shooter,
silver mounted and got up in fine
style. The pistols were bought at
reduced rates being bought by the quantity.
Mine with the equipments cost
me $23. I did some very good
shooting yesterday with it for the
first time. I am as you supposed
exempt from guard duty but
not from drill. ex officio. The removal
of Fremont (Fremont, John Charles (Major General)) caused a great deal of
indignation among the troops here and
elsewhere in the West. They have great
confidence in his abilities as a General
and respect him as a man. Never mind
we must make him President after
the war. Please write often as I like
to hear the news. I would like to see
a copy of the N.Y. (New York) Tribune occasionally
as I have not seen it since I enlisted.

Yours H. H. Shepard (Shepard, Henry H.)

Direct as before Co A. 9th Reg Iowa Vols (9th Regiment, Iowa)
St LouisMo. (Missouri)