Battleford
June 3/85
Dear Mother
Yesterday I received a perfect wad of letters and papers from all my correspondents. I had two from you dated respectively Apl 26 and May 13th one from Father May 7th one from Jack May 13th one from Gerald May 19th two from Katie Apl 29 May 15th so you see if I did have to wait a month for letters I got a lot of them. Your letters explain many things I had asked about. I see by your letter of 13 that you received my cheques all right I trust that they will be able to square up my affairs re Stackpool &c
I received a telegram from Father about 5 oclock on the 29 May and was glad to hear about my place being all right and you all being well at home. I am in the best of health and spirits and hope if Middleton settles Big Bear to get home soon, as I said to Gerald our fellows were disappointed at not being taken up to Fort Pitt but I was not as I am not anxious for any more fighting than I cant possibly get out of without [funking?] The mails will run more regularly now although I do not know whether they will come by the Swift Current trail any longer I think it will be via Clarks Crossing – You say you have done nothing to the house yet. I am sorry for you but it is only what I expected before I left, as I felt positive that the cost would be to heavy for your means. Tell Father that my letters though addressed inside to you are as much for him as for you, as your interests are identical, and besides writing is carried on under difficulties here. In your last letter you wonder if I was at Cut-Knife Hill. I guess you have heard by this time that I was. I am quite surprised that you did not know exactly who was there as Charlie Winter was supposed to have sent a telegram to Ottawa with the names of our men in the Column. Capt Todd has telegraphed to Winnipeg for two metallic caskets for poor Rogers and Osgoodes bodies at least what remains of them. Roger is buried about 400 yds from here, but poor Osgoode is about 36 miles from here up at Poundmaker’s Reserve and is all cut to pieces by a squaw whose “Buck” was killed by us at Cutknife. I think they will be able to find his remains when Middleton comes back from Pitt, but no one his allowed to go up until Big Bear is settled as the country above is hardly safe. I read of Mr Grants Death in a stray paper some time ago. I did not know until you told me about Mr Cousins. You say that old Borers is going to be married. I believe I heard something about it before I left. you say Mary and Pal are going with him. I recognise Mary, but must confess my ignorance of which position her Pal holds. Remember me to old Dupuis. As to the delicacies you have sent me they have not yet reached here they will likely follow us home, nothing has yet reached the troops from either Ottawa or Toronto. I would just about pay a dollar for a glass of beer as there is not a drop of anything between here and Swift Current.
I do not know when we shall leave for home but at any rate I do not think that I will have any more fighting. We are doing pretty well in regards to grub getting fresh meat two or three times a week, there is a lot of cattle on the way up for the troops.
No more at present
I will write to Jack by next mail
Your aff Son
Lewis
The mail is just leaving
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