File:Letter (of Joseph A. Fardell), Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., to Father and Mother, November 9, 1863.jpg

States that he hopes he can stay at Benton Barracks for the remainder of his service in the war.

Transcription: Benton Barracks

St Louis Mo

Nov the 9th / 63

Dear Father and Mother

It is With plesure that I take my pen in hand to Write you a fu lines to let you know that I am Well as usul I now am now in Benton Barracks 4 miles North West of St Louis Warf With my Co my Co is the 7th Co 2nd Battallion Invilid Corps We are Station at this place I expect to stay untell our time is out or untell We get our Discharges though thare is nuthing Surton about soldering though the supposishen is that we will stay here it is an nice place I am Well Satisfide With it I hope that I Will get to stay here that balence of my time out it is as plesent a place as Jefferson Barracks I assure you that I am well pleased With the change We come here on the 6th my helth has been improooving every Since I come out here I begin to think that I will gane my helth if I stay here when I rote to you before at Alexander Barracks I had begin to think that I Was not going to get Well soon and I thought that that It Would be better for me to try to get a Discharge and come home but my helth is improveing I ges you my may postpone Comeing untell I see Wether I can get Well or not I Would be glad to see you so glad that I know if you was to come that I Would go home With you and that is one thing that I do not Want to do unless I could go to stay With you as long as I pleas and leave When I Should wanto

I Would be Willen to come home on them kind of terms and no other! another thing I look at a good deal I have surved very neer 15 months in the army and if I Was to get a Discharge now I Would luse my bounty for the law Says positively that no Soldier have any bounty When he is Discharged unless he shall have Surved for the period of 2 years the other 9 months of my time will soon roll around and then if I can get my Discharge I Will come home and Stay When I get thare for I am thurly Satisfide that I can not Stand the Survis I am too feeble my helth has fuld me to much for to ever make a Soldier Constitution Oh how Well I could enjoy my self if I Was With you all to night and my blessed Country Was in peas oh God give us peas once more oh that our blessed union may be blessed by god I do trust that We may have pease before the end of 6 months the news is faverable on our side the last too days Fort Sumpter[Fort Sumter] is ours according to the papers it is occupied by the 144th Pensylvania[Pennsylvania] Vol Infantry if We had any army that Was any acount in the East I think We could Wind the south up in a very short time but in my oppinion if Richmond is ever taken that the Westeren Army Will have it to take our Army in the East is not much force though their Numbers is many

Dear Mother and Father I have nuthing more of any importance to Write at the present I want and you boath to rest contented about me tell little Jimme to be a good boy untell I come home and I Will bring him Something nice When I come and Father do send him to School Every day if you pleas for my sake and as my last request I Would not take one thousand dollars for the use of the pen it is more comfort