Walnut Hills June 9^th 1863

 

My own dear Wife Emelia

                                                I wrote a few days ago but I received a letter from you yesterday with one from Vina and I must write a line in answer. I wrote about the box we had ready to send and sent a list of articles that belonged to me. I think it will start in a few days. it will go up in the care of Lieut. Magden. he was wounded and is going home to stay a while. he will call and see you. There is a colored man going up with him that is acquainted with Eliza his name is Charley. I guess she will be glad to see him. I send $3.00 with this for Dan. he is well and sends love to Eliza & Beckey is doing well and hopes to go to her sometime wants to hear how she likes in Iowa. I am glad you write more encourageingley about her helping you. you must have her do all you can I am afraid you work to hard. please be carefull and take care of your health. if I live to get home I hope to find you and the children well and healthey. How I wish I could see your flowers and the garden how happy we shall be when we can be together but I must not think of it. Did you see McLeish. I think / he charges to much for Eliza's fare but dont you be troubled about it I dont care if he is not paid at presant I will tell you about him sometime. Write me all he said I shall expect to see Gulick soon with my things how glad I shall be to get them. I shall be very carefull of them and take them all home if I live. We do not expect to be paid untill we get Vicksburg but I shall send you every dolar I can as soon as I get it. I feel bad to have you out of money and depriveing yourself of every thing for the sake of sending things to me but I pray it will not always be so. Keep up good courage and have hope. I do. (All I can.) I hope to hear from Mr C. soon I wish we could live near them sometime. Give my regards to Mrs Wagner and tell her I want to see her baby and find who it looks like I dont believe it is hers, but I wont say to much for I want to go there with you sometime and take a good dinner of baked beans and Indian puding. We are laying here just as we wer when I last wrote. Digging rifle pits a planting guns nights and sleeping day times when it is not to hot. I think we shall be in Vicksburg before long without much loss of life but it is hard to tell. Capt Johnson is here and I have watched him very close since I got your letter about him and as far as I can see he is steady and behaves like a man. There has been to much / said about him many wer down on him because he resigned but I think that was his own business and he would do as much for a soldier today as any man and I shall stand up for him as long as he behaves himself. Give my regards to Miss Earhart when you see her. I hope to be better acquainted sometime. I saw Dougherty a few days ago. I asked him if he got a letter from Dr Brown and he said he did but the writeing was so bad he could hardley read it. he tried to find it for me but could not. Gen Baker and Gov. Kirkwood are here and visited our Regiment a few days ago. We wer all glad to see them but it made me a little homesick to see Baker. I heard that John Haskell was in Memphis write me all you hear about him. he was appointed Color guard a few days before he was wounded and brought the Colors off the field when we made the first charge. he has been a good soldier and a good man and I shall always respect him. The boys from Eden and Comanche are all well. Hoodley is fat as can be. you can tell the folks and Lydia in peticular that he is a good fellow and a good officer. I shall write as often as I can but do not worey if you do not hear from me for every thing is so unsertain here. Kiss the children for me. how I wish I could kiss you all. Ever your own true            George

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