Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Independence, Missouri. His health is still good. He has newspapers from Saint Louis giving accounts of General Grant driving Lee towards Richmond. Jacob thinks the war will soon be over. He plans to buy Mary a ring as soon as he is paid. He only has ten cents left. He hopes to be paid for four months wages in July. He thanks Ellen for sending the book mark. He thinks it is a great blessing to have a chance for his children to go to school. In the south, the poor do not get any formal education and have to make do with what they learn from home. He has not had any drills recently and is doing mostly guard duty. Sam Mott has small pox.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from camp in Independence, Missouri. He was impressed with the beauty of the countryside. Bushwhackers have been operating in the area and they passed many burnt buildings on the way to Independence. He is now three hundred miles south of Rochester and about one hundred and fifty miles east.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Jefferson City, Missouri. He mentions that he has sent twenty dollars home. He has guard duty frequently because most of the companies have moved south.