Letter 5 page 5

6
I heard about Geo. Mengus being wounded at
that Battle on James Island- but did not
know the nature of his wound until I
heard it from you. but I must say take
the thing all through- he met with several
very narrow escapes- and he must feel
quite thankful to think that that button
was in the way of that bullet. that flattened
+ also that Musket stopped several other
bullets that might otherwise have injured
him for life- but I think take it all in
all he came out quite lucky + I sup-
-pose by this time he has entirely recovered
from his wound so that he is able to resume
active duties. I had a letter from Prother
Tom has week + he underwent consider-
-able hardship during those six days
battles on the Peninsula- He does not men-
-tion any narrow escapes from the fact
that he was not in the humor for writing
but he may tell me something about it
in another letter. if he is spared to
write another, which is hard to tell

7
but I sincerely hope and trust he may and
also that he may be spared to return home
again. but it is left with God to do as he
thinks best of course it is impossible for
us weak creatures to overrule his actions
and must therefore yield to his kind
providence and abide by them-
Things around here are brisk- the farms
are getting over harvest time- + now are
coming in to dispose of their wheat
+ convert the proceeds into Dry Goods tc
Consequently it makes trade brisk-
Burrett this is the greatest- biggest-
littlest town for business I ever saw
our sales amount on an average to
about $400 a day. which is pretty
steep- + we do the second best trade
in town- if not the first. + what helps
trade aside from the farmers is this
There are Machine Shops in the town
belonging to the Pittsburgh Fort Wayne +
Chicago Rail Road and there is about
$30,00 paid out every month by the R.R.