Civil War letter from WG Travis to SJ Shaw, Oct 8, 1860
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives January 31, 2001 by
Barbara Swift < bpswift@pacbell.net >
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I have retained the original spelling and punctuation.  There are a lot of sentences run together, so I tried to add extra space to indicate  where the new sentence began.  I hope there are no typo's, but it's possible.  If anyone wants a copy, I have access to a copy machine and would be glad to send one.  And if anyone knows what happened to any of the people in the letter, I would be interested.

(a stamp with 3 cent postage with cancellation mark Fort Girardeau Oct 1862 is on the left had side of the envelope.)

Miss Sarah.J. Shaw
Alderly P.O.
 Dodge County
 Wisconsin

Cape Gerardeau, MoOct 8,60

Dear Sarah
I take my pen to write a few lines to let you know that I am enjoying good health at presant and am glad to hear that you are the same.  I recived your letter of the 21and 23 and am sorry that
you heard of my being taken prisnor
but it was all false.  I am still driving team at the post.
all of our Regt that was able to go are gone to Greenville last week    its about 65 miles from here
we was all ordered to go but the wagon master did not want to part with hur (?)
so we are all here
you didnot tell me whare the Camp meeting was nor if my sister got religeon.  I am glad to hear
Miss Truesdell as got a husband but am sorry for the man he will have to learn her all she knows
the weather is very plesant now but its very sickly the sick men are dieing very fast
 Thay buried 4 yesterday out of our Regt
we are expecting Steeles devision here nexxt week about 15,000 men to scour the country around here
 there is some talk of giving the wisconsin boys that are sick a furlough this fall
 I should like to come home if I could get one but I hope it will not be a sick furlough
I did not write to you last week     we was very busy part of the time
we had to work in the night until 10 oclock and we are expecting a boat load of goods here today so we shll have to work all night     it is just one year the 16th of this month since I enlisted    one year ago to day  I was a free man
at home and I hope in less time I shall be a free man at home again
Dear Sarah we cant tell one day whare we shall be the next but we must put our trust in providence and we shall
come out all right at the end
give my best respects to all the folks and recive my best love your self from your true lover W.G.T

excuse this letter, and me for not writing sooner  I will try to do better in the future  tell the boys to write to me
        from yours truly,
             William G. Travis

write soon and let me know if you recived  that money I sent