Camp near Louisville Ky.
Nov. 12, 1864
Dear beloved Wife,
I now take my pen in hand to write to you to let you know that I am well and hearty and hope these few lines may reach you all well and in good spirits. I have not had a letter from you for two weeks yesterday and I answered it on Monday following.
I have not got my overcoat yet and the express agent told me to write back and have you go to the agent and have them hunt it up. You will have to show them the receipt, but do not give them the receipt or they would be clear. If they do not find it they will have to pay for it. Now I wish you would take my other coat and put it in a small box and send it to Louisville Ky, address George Kryder, Co.I, 3rd OVVC Louisville, Ky. and if you have the money please pay the freight on it and if you have a box that the coat will not quite fill you might put in a pound or two of butter and a couple lbs of dried fruit and I think it will come through. Do not put any cakes or anything of the kind in it, for it would be sure to mould.
I will now tell you that last Wednesday we pulled up at Nashville and went to the depot and about half past two we took the cars for the city and got here about two o'clock the next morning and we put our rations in a box and thought our Baggage would come right along with us but did not come till the next train and did not get here till yesterday afternoon so we had to buy things to eat. There are five of us mess together and only two of us had any money and I have only about 50 cts left but as long as I am well I can get along without money that is if we have enough to eat. At Nashville we were pretty short off for meat so four of us went out and killed a big fat hog which helped us along first rate. We sold ten lbs. of lard at 18 cts. per lb. And last night two of us went and got five heads of cabbage and about half bushel turnips and we are going to have some cooked for dinner.
When we left Nashville we had an awful storm the wind blew awful. There was a woman close by the river bridge when the squall struck her and if the engineer would not have been there to help her she would have blown into the river. Yesterday was a very nice day till in the evening it clouded over and looked like snow, but there were a few sprinkles of rain. This morning there is a cold wind blowing from the north and the air feels like snow, but I have a tent and we can warm ourselves good.
Henry Rogers of our town got discharged last week, his time being out and another one of our Co. got word that his father died and got a furlough to go home to see to his affairs and he is going to Fairfield and said he would go and see you. His name is John Wintringham. He goes by the name of slippery elm. We are looking for the balance of the regiment back here to be mounted and if our Captain was here I would try to get a furlough but I will not depend on one and then if I do not get one I will not be disappointed. But I will come if I can.
Send my coat as soon as you can for we may not stay here more than two weeks. Direct your letters as above. Please write soon. No more this time. I remain as ever your true and affectionate husband
George Kryder
To Mrs. Elisabeth S. Kryder and our dear little girls
we expect our pay here before we go away from here
