Duvalls Bluff Ark. May. 3 1865
	     Dear folks at home.
			Today is
observed here as Lincolns funeral. 
a salute was fired this morning
guns are fired every half hour.
We were ordered out on parade this
morning. I imagined we were to be
paraded around all day, and
dreaded it very much as I am not
strong. but we were only taken out and
an order read not to do any
unnessary labor during the day.
which pleased me very much.
as it exactly agreed with my feelings
So I will spend part of the time
writing to you,
I received a couple of papers.
I am glad you have got a better
stove. hope you will. have thing
convenient on the farm, are your fences
good? does the house leak? do things
look orderly around the house, or are


there pieces of old waggons, bits of
lumber etc laying [illegible in original]
around. They have things orderly in
the army. & I like to see it. We have
to keep our quarters in order and to
sweep the alley front of our shanties
evry morning, no bits of rubbish are allowed
lying around the camp. The soldiers also
have to keep themselves clean,
I think you better, deprive yourself of
something and send for a newspaper
I could not do without them,
	           N.Y.
If you took the ^ Tribune you could
send me one [illegible in original] once in while,
Do you have a Sunday school, at
your school house?
Have you got a good garden, are there
any fruit trees on the farm,
I shall eat like all you have got of the
vegitable and fruit [line?] when I get home
and I dont think it will be a year
first either.
I wish coffee and meat agreed with
me, for that is nearly all they have to eat
they had some been soup yesterday late
a few of the beens but they set me running
to the rear before morning. (Some baked beens
would go good)