Transcription
Addison, Ills., Aprill (sic) 10th 1864
Dear Son
Your letter of the tenth last month I have received a few days ago and perceived with pleasure that at the time you wrote it you seemed to be in good health and spirits, about that letter of mine wich (sic) you mention, and have so much to say I don’t remember much it seems that the principal reason I gave for not wishing you to reenlist was that I wanted your service at home, I will not deny that I perhaps wrote in a manner wich[sic] must lead you to that conclusion and in your case I do not see anything in it wich[sic] would be wrong, for I think that as far as the country is concerned you have done your duty for the present, the Government never needed Volunteers more then at the time you enlisted because ever since they might have filled their Armies by drafting if it had become necessary, that they did not choose to do it, does not make it your duty to serve another term, so that many others who are just as capable as you to serve the country and defend our government and are under the same obligation can stay at home and idle their time away at pleasure or make plans for their future prosperity and comfort, and as for the large bounty the Government now offers is concerned it is no object to me, and I believe it is no object to you though it pleases me that the boys get it they certainly deserve it still I admire your patriotic feeling and your anxiety to perserve[sic] our government, but I do not see that it betrays any lack of patriotism in me in not encouraging to reinlist in your old regiment but rather serve out your full term and then come home and be at liberty at least for a while, and try to make preparations for your future occupation and well fare (sic) for your services at home I do not want for myself I realy (sic) do not need them, but all I want is to care for yourself and come to som(sic) point about what occupation you will follow in future, although I have made calculations that most of you should follow farming because I do not like anything better myself, and have a considerable pride in it when I think back to the time when I begun with hardly a dollar in my possession that I have by industry, perserverance and economy got along as far as I am now, I will not insist upon you to choose farming for your occupation if you do not like it, but I have dwelt long enough on this if luck will have it that you com (sic) home safe and find us all alive we can consider on that at leasure (sic) we all hope and beleave (sic) that the war will come to a termination this summer, and as you have to serve nearly all this summer, it will perhaps not be necessary for the government after your time is served out all you would have lost then would be the country by not reinlisting wich (sic) as I think is no object, but should the war still continue and you consider it your duty to enlist again I do not see why you can not do it just as well I shall certainly not hinder you but it does seem to me that taken in consideration that what experience you have had combined with your knowledge and patriotism you ought serve in a higher capacity then (sic) a private soldier or non commissioned officer, and wich (sic) I believe you will have a better chance to obtain if you serve out your whole time and come home then you would have had by reinlisting in your old regiment, I often hear men who have a chance to know, say that brother August is one of the best officers of the Reg, beleaving (sic) you full as capable as him I do not see why you should not try to get as good a place as he not only for the profit (?) but for convenience and perhaps better comp(?) as you seem to think that we up north experiencing so little inconvenience of the war that we become some what dull and slack about it, I do not know how far those who make such assertions are right, true it is the excitement about it is some what over especially when there is little progress and little news from the war but it does not follow that we are getting indifferent about it, the best thing we can do is to tend to our buisiness (sic) and produce all we can by that only we are able to suport (sic) our government and keep these large armies in the field and a good thing it is that even the Copperheads have do their share in supporting the government although they do it for their own good, and I do not realy (sic) see what more we can do, besides we have alwais (sic) answered the call of the government when more troops were wanted and have been succesfull (sic) to so far should in future we fail I hope the government resort to a draft at once, for I should really like to see, cowardly young man who seem to care for nothing else then for their own comfort forced to serve in the Army which will certainly do them good for it will teach them that they can do without their Mother one time as well as another not knowing anything particular which would interest you I will allude to one family matter and close at present we are all well, Mother is sometimes troubled with headache but not so much as she used to, my health seems to have been declining the last two years and although I do not suffer from ill health I do not believe I will get very old, Henry and his family lives with us yet but will perhaps leave after sowing and planting is done with may as we had late by march rain that sum (sic) time Herman is still going to school but will stay at home as soon as we are able to work in the field presently it is so wet and muddy that we can do but little, knowing that it will be very inconvenient for me that Henry is a going to leave I did depend up on you to take his place by your last letter it seems do that you do not agree with me, I beleave(sic) that you right enough, but beleave(sic) also that we can not all be soldiers for this war cannot alone be settled by battles it wants its time, and I have no doubt that in time if are able to supply our Armies with man provisions and all other necessasseries(sic) and support our government and keep up its credit we will com(sic) out all right. Hoping that you will be able to answer this before long I will close and remain
Your Father
H.D. Fischer
