Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Camp Blackwater, Missouri. Several acquaintances have gone home on furlough but Jacob does not think he will be able to get home because it will cost about fifty dollars for the trip. He is only on guard duty once a week. They have fresh pork and can buy honey for one dollar a gallon.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter while he was at Fort Ridgley, Minnesota. He made his way from Rochester, through Mankato and New Ulm to Fort Ridgley. He is waiting for the pay master and will send money home as soon as possible. He mentions several acquaintances and reports on their health.
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 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.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Osage City, Kansas. He had two boils on his face. Mail has been slo9w coming from home but he believes that it is due to the heavy snows in Illinois and Wisconsin. New Years day it was twenty-two degrees below zero in his camp. He has been working and has earned sixteen dollars since he came to Osage. He spent five dollars and twenty-five cents for a pair of boots and another dollar and a half for an ax.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Osage City, Kansas. He is doing well and expects to earn some more money if they stay in the same place. It is warmer and the snow is almost all gone. The rings that he sent home cost one dollar and fifteen cents.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Osage City, Kansas. He is well and hopes they are all doing fine. He has already sent ten dollars home this month and expects to send another three dollars as soon as he gets paid. He earned one dollar splitting rails. He mentions wanting Martha to get a cow from Nat Irish. It was rumored that the paymaster was in Jefferson. He has not heard from his brother, William. He is anxious to hear how his father is doing.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Osage City, Kansas. It has been very cold and snowy. He bought himself a pair of boots. He is owed two months pay. He asks if Martha received the jewelry he sent.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Warrensburg, Missouri. He has earned twenty-eight dollars working out, but does not know if he will get more work. He tells Martha that Parks Penharlow is in the hospital, so the rumors that she had heard that he was dead are untrue. While they were in Osage City they slept in a building, but in Warrensburg, they are sleeping in tents. He received a letter from his father. His company expects that they will move about five miles to guard a bridge.
Jacob Dieter wrote this letter from Warrensburg, Missouri. He is sorry to hear that Martha has been sick. The company expects to move five miles to guard a bridge. He does not like this camp because there is too much guard duty and he does not have extra time to earn additional money. He wants the children to learn as much as they can at school. He observed that many of the local children ten or twelve years old cannot read and some of them do not know how old they are. Very few people can write.