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The train was very late & the mail will not be distributed until after this shall be on the way to you. Each night a train leaves this place with thirty men to guard the R.R. truck. They are stationed along the truck for thirty miles East of this point. Night before last 30 of the men from our company were detailed for that purpose & they had hardly left the camp when it commenced raining and continued all night. The poor fellows had to stand & shiver while it poured down in torrents; but they came in next morning feeling as lively as ever. Those are now about 700 men our after some secesh who are said to be about thirty miles from this place. They have been gone thrice days. All the troops who were at Springfield in the battle and all of the artillery at this point go to St. Louis this morning. It seems that they haven't any very great fears for the safety of this post. We have in the Camp two very pretty little kittens. They very frequently come in & play with us. I must now go to drill. My regards to all. Write often. Yours affectionately, J.J. Russell