Polo Ills 

April 20 /69

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Dear Brother Whit

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We have finally received a letter from you and have come to the conclusion to write again to see if you will get this one.

I guess I will commence back to the time that I left the farm and entered the United States service. In August 1861 I enlisted in the 7th Ills. Cavalry as Bugler and was put into the Regimental Band and intailed as Rgtl. Post Master and Ordnance Sargent. The last of July 1862 was mustered out of the service at Corinth, Miss., came home with the determination to quit the service but after staying home about two weeks I reenlisted as Commissary Sargent in the 92th Ills. Infantry and in about one year the regiment was mounted and after scouting with them about six months I was promoted to Second Luitenant in the 16th U.S. Colored Troops and in a short time to First Luitenant in the same Rgt. and detailed as Military Conductor on the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail Road thereby placing me on Gen. Thomases Staff in which capacity I remained until July 1865 when at the close of the war I tendered my resignation and it was accepted and I returned to civil life again. My health was invariably good having never been excused from duty in the space of about four years of active service in the states of Missouri, Miss, Kentucky, Penn, Alabama and Georgia. I saw some pretty rough times and some good times especialy while on the R.R. as Conductor. Since my return I have been into a variety of business; First Grain, then Grocery Grain and Live Stock, then Lumber and now Sewing Machines, Fire and Life Insurance. So if you want your Life Insured just send on your application and I will see that it is done in short order. I am satisfied that if you was here with a few hundred dollars to go out on the line of the Pacific RR you could make more money than where you are and live among white people and in a civilized country besides. I know one man that started in the first of last May with $175.00, kept with the construction corps trading and taking up and selling lots and the first of Nov he had increased it to $9000.00. Ogden now is the place where the two ends are to meet and where the Oregon branch will start from. A little capital invested there will in a short time make a man a fortune.

We are here having a very cold backward spring but an open winter. Whit I want you to make up your mind to dispose of your property just as soon as you can to advantage and come out here and live among white folks. Even if you can’t make as much money (which I very much doubt) you can enjoy a little of life as you go along and you certainly don’t expect to live forever do you? Well I guess I will not write any more at present for if you don’t receive this letter it is long enough and if you do I think you will certainly cry enough. Write soon as you get this and let us know how you get a long with your Indians. From your brother

 

F. H. Waterbury