(Note: This letter is by Sarah's brother, Samuel Wylie Cunningham)no chaplain at this time, but I hope we will soon have one. We try to keep a prayer meeting, but it is very hard. A few have to go remind and see everyone that will likely attend such places, and get them to go. We had a very good meeting last night. The chaplain from the 51 met with us and made a few remarks. It's great trouble to keep up meetings. The carelessness of the officers, most of them being very wicked, and those that are not wicked are careless with very few exceptions, but the ship of Zion must ride over the billows of the wicked and Christ's banner must be unfurled. Let the scoffers say what they may, for this our fathers faught and for this [they] left home, so I and my posterity might worship you according to the dictates of their own conscience. The weather has been pretty hot, but the nights are very cool, generally. We had marching orders Tuesday evening and went out about 10 miles in the dark. It had rained that day and the ground most of the time was very muddy and, in the language of another, it was as dark as a stack of black cats and more men fell down than we ever saw, but we came back to camp. Next morning we started to reinforce some of our cavalry at Boonville, but they had chased the rebels and we was not needed. We are awaiting marching orders now, but I don't know where or when we will go. S.W. Cunningham
Enlistment details:
Cunningham, Samuel [Wylie]
©2006 C.S. Parkinson
