I will write a few lines in answer to your letter which I received two weeks ago at Camp Release. I should have answered it sooner but I had not time.
We left Camp Release a week ago today and marched two days and a half to this place. It is what was the Sioux Agency, about fifteen miles from Fort Ridgely. It is as pleasant a place here as I ever saw but the miserable Indians have burnt and destroyed everything that was here.
But I think they will repent of their deeds before long. We have 376 of them prisoner here now. They have tried most of them and I think that they are going to hang them as soon as they get them all tried. I think we shall stay here about two weeks longer yet and where we shall go then I do not know.
We are having warm weather now but we had some cold weather before we came here. I wrote you a letter about two weeks ago and sent you five dollars and thought then that I should send some more soon but I heard that most of those who sent letters (with money in them) never heard form them or if they did they had been opened, and I thought that I would wait until I could have a chance to send it safely. Mr. Hepsons and his company are here so I have a chance to see the Beaver boys. They say that all of the company like him best of any of the officers. I think that we have the best officers of any of them for I do not think there is one in the company but what likes them. There is some talk of the Sixth and Seventh regiments going south. They expect to know in a few days whether we shall or not. If we go south I will write as soon as I find out whether we shall or not. I want you should write me as soon as you get this for I have had but two letters since I left home. Where is Cyrenus? Is he at Wilnone now? If he were here that he might have some papooses to play with for there are plenty of them here. I would like to have you send me some papers for we do not get much to read here. I wrote to Obed but have not heard from him yet. As I want to write some to Will I shall have to finish this. When I wrote you before I wanted you to knit me a pair of fringed mittens and Mother knit me two pairs of stockings and would like to have you make me a pair of checked shirts if you can get the cloth. Please write as soon as you get this.
From your Brother
E.S. Metcalf.
