St. Louis, Mo. Sept. 25, 1861

My Dear Friend A. Duemler,
I wish you will receive my letter as soon as possible. We arrived in St. Louis safe and were sworn in the 25th and received our uniforms already, and we will get our rifles soon too. We are all well, and satisfied with our captain and we expect that we have to leave St. Louis soon because some of the Turners Regiment left already today. I guess we will come up once more before we start if there is any chance for us to get off.  We've got so far our quarters by Jacob Ams. I don't know whether we will stay here or not. I wish that you will answer us so soon as you receive my letter. Best regards to you and all my friends.

John William Lindner
 
 

Rolla, Phelps County, Mo.
Nov. 21, 1861

Dear Friend Mr. August Duemler,
I will take the pen up in my hand and will let you know that we are all well so far and I wish to you the same.We are in Rolla again, I think that you knpw the place very well, and so I will not tell you much about the town because you know it as well as I do; but I will tell you about the march that we made the 11th of November. We went to Wilson Creek and searched it all over the battlefield but it looked awful. Some of the trees have ten dozen balls in them. Some is blown plumb down. The bones of horses are just piled up in some places. On the 12th of November we camped in Macclain and the next day we went to Springfield again and we stayed there three days and then we went to Rolla and we arrived there the 19th of November. They say that we will go to St. Louis in a short time. I don't know if it is true or not, I don't believe anything they say. I think that is all what I know this time except one of our company died on the march from Springfield to Rolla. His name was Phillip Swerouting. This is all the news I can tell you this time so I will bring my letter to a close. And the best regards from your affectionate friend,

John William Lindner

By the Editor: The above letter was written on paper that has printed on it a likeness of General Siegel. At this time August Duemler received his mail in Union, Mo.
 
 
 

Helena Arkansas
August 8, 1862

Dear Friend:
I will take the pen in my hand to let you know that we are all well, and I wish you are enjoying the same blessing. I can't tell you much news but I will tell you all I know. We are still lying in Helena on the Mississippi. They say we have to go back again to Little Rock, and some say we have to go on the steamboats but, I can't tell you where we will go. Some of our gunboats came up to Helena and reported that the Secession gunboat Arkansas is still lying in Vicksburg, and that they are still fighting in that vicinity. Our gunboats reported that they were too weak to take it up with the Secession gunboat Arkansas, but what they are going to do again and see what they can do this time, and we expect another fight by Vicksburg in a few days, and so in Richmond. This is all I can tell you this time. I will close my letter. I wish that you would answer soon. My best respects to you. Give my best respects to all you know. The best respects to you all. Your respectful friend,

William Lindner
 
 

To August Duemler,

My Dear Friend:
Give my best respect to all the girls, and answer.

Your respectful friend, William Lindner
 
 
 

Helena, Arkansas
September 18th, 1862

My Dear Friend August Duemler:
I will take the pen up in my hand to let you know that we are all well, and I wish that these lines may find you enjoying the same blessing. I received your letter the 13th of this month, and was glad to hear that you were all well. I have learned from your letter than you write white ones and I have to write black ones, I gave that business up a long time ago. You said in your letter that I fooled Anna Keller, and I am sure I did not, and you said that I fooled Dena Raps and Louis Prallic. I am sure it is nothing of the kind. My friend Louis says August and William they are the right kind of fellows. They always talk about the girls and write about them and as soon as they see them they have not got anything to say, and are afraid of them but I don't think so. They say that we have to go to Little Rock; but I do not know if we go or not. This is all the news I can tell you this time. I will close this time. The best respect to all the girls and boys. I heard that the girls leave you all. I pity you now you will have some lonesome times up there. But I can't help it you must do as good as you can. The best regards from H. W. Acrnamann an his brother Louis and from Fr. Dear and Schebaum. The best regards to Fred Angerer, John Briegleb and Phillip and his sister. The best regards to your brother and sister.
Your Friend ,

William Lindner

P.S. Answer soon.
 
 

Rolla, Phelps County
December 22nd
Mr. August Duemler,
Union, Franklin County, Missouri.

Dear Friend:
I will take the pen up in my hand to let you know that your brother, Louis is very sick since the 16th of this month. He has got the pneumonia that he can hardly move and spits out blood. Which I think that he can hardly be here. He can't get the medicine that he wants and that he needs. The doctor that we got here gave him some medicine that made him still worse. Please come up as soon as you receive this letter because he gets every day worse. You can think how a sick person feels in this cold weather. It is impossible for him to get well in this place. He is so weak that he can hardly walk. If his sickness keeps on that way I do not know how he can stand it any longer in this cold weather. It is impossible for a sick person to get well in these damp tents. If you can come you must inquire in Rolla for the Western Turner Rifles Regiment. We are about one miles west of Rolla. He wishes for you to if you come to bring him some apples along if you please. I will close this letter and give the best respects to you all, and the best respects from your brother Louis Deumler. From your respectful friend,

William Lindner
 
 
 

Louisiana, Mollgana Bend
January 4, 1863

Dear Friend Mr. August Deumler:
I will take pen in hand to write you these few lines to let you know that we left Helena and went to Vicksburg and went up the Yazoo River. The second day of Christmas we went on shore and stayed all night in the rain till the next morning and then we made a fire and dried our clothes and cooked coffee. The first thing I knew a pot full of boiling water fell over and scalded my whole right foot. After this I was unfit for service. I could not walk another step. Then I was carried on the steamboat Imma. In about one hour after the Winnie Queen fired on the rest of the boys which I left. A bombshell was shot from the fort within ten steps behind the regiment. In the same moment another one came and another one and which burst right in our company. But I am very sorry to write you sad news what she did. She tore your brother Louis Deumler and my friend to pieces. How sorry and waek I felt when he spoke the last words which ar, "Goodbye boys I am done," and then he fell over and was dead. It is unexplainable how he was torn up and then the ball after it was through him burst and one piece of the shell went through another fellows knee and he too died. After this they fought two days more but it was all for nothing. Frank P. Blair made a charge with his brigade but he had to retreat with a heavy loss, and we all had to retreat the whole army. It is not yet known how many we lost. They said we lost a thousand dead except wounded. We are waiting for reinforcements.

I do not know what to do with your brother, his things, he had his best clothes on, his new pants which was sent to him, his best shirt and boots. All what he left back was a few old shirts and one blanket. I wish you would write me and tell me what I shall do with it. He also left some debts in the company, which is about 46 dollars and some costs. I will tell you how that is. When he bought them revolvers, he borrowed $20.65 from William Voss, and in Pilot Knob he and John H. Holtgrewe went home, I lent him $12.25 and John H. Holtmayer lent him $1.50 and Gerhardt H. Holtgrewe about $3.00: but he had to get $8.00 from some fellow in the company.

I will close my letter and I wish you would answer soon. Let me know what we shall do with his things. He left no cash, he never had any money and he got that. I send my best regards to you and all your brothers and sisters. I am your respectful friend,

William Lindner

Address your letter, "Osterhaus in the field".

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