F. Swarrick to Richard Yates

Nashville, Tenn Aug 5th, 1865 Hon Richard Gates Jacksonville ILL

Dear Governor Col Servant has just forwarded me your second letter of recommendation for which as well as the first please accept my sincere thanks I owe you an apology for neglecting to acknowledge the receipt of your first kind letter but the truth is that we were on the move for several weeks either from one post to another or from one barracks to another after which Col Wood was placed in command of the post which put me in command of the regiment and about the same time we made another change of quarters and Col Wood was suddenly taken very ill and is now in a dying condition there is no hope of his recovery and to appearances he will not live over tomorrow night his disease was what is here called "break bone" fever and has run into typhoid. He has had every attention necessary to comfort and cure had the latter been poss ----ible but there is no hope, he must die I am Governor very respectfully and truly yours F Swarrick ---- F Swarrick Nashville Ten acknowledges receipt of letter of recommendation - Col Wood very sick-dying-