Transcribed and Contributed by Tom Busby
Great Great Grandson of V. W. Sargent, Company F.
Keokuk Aug 28th/64
Dear Father
I received your letter of the 21st and was verry glad to hear from you for it has ben about five weeks since I heard from home at all. Am glad to hear that you are all so well and to hear that you have got your grain all in. I think you done pretty well for an old man sure.
It seams to me that Washy has got a pretty long furlough. I would like to get a furlough now and come home while he is there. No telling when I will get it. I have sent in an application and I may not get it at all. I shall get pay again in a couple of weeks if I stay here that long.
I am well and harty as ever and have lirned my game leg to walk agane so I think I can March my 20 miles a day if need be. I am on duty here at the hospital standing guard. I stand 4 hours out of 24. Two in the daytime and two in the knite and the rest of the time I have to myself to run around through town or lay in my bed. Dan Seward is here what time he aint under arrest. Several of the boys from the 27th came up here a few days ago that was wounded at the late fight at Tupelo. None from my company has come up here yet. There 3 or 4 of them wounded though William Clark for one think he will lose his leg if not his life so some of the boys say that came up and one struck in the belly with a spent ball.
I will close now. Write as soon as you get this. Write all the news whare you live and how all the folks on the crick are getting along. All of you write.
Excuse bad wrighting for it has ben so long since I have wrote anny that I have got out of practice.
Yours Truly
V.W. Sargent
Co F 27th