Low Moor July 9. 1863

 

My own dear George,

                                    I am tired to night but still I want to talk with you so bad that I cannot withstand gratifying the desire by writing some. First I will tell you how I have spent the day. I got up at 5. milked. I wanted to go to Wallaces for raspberries & thought I would take Kit, so went on to the prairie for her, found her & brought her up, done up my work, got ready, harnessed Kit & put her in the waggon alone. I picked 4 qts. Wendell was so troublesome I could not pick more, so went up to Palmers, saw Mrs Jones for the first time. she is looking quite well, has a nice set of teeth which improve her appearance much. Mrs P. says she or Lizzie Haskell heard from a reliable source that Miss Earhart had given Johnson the mitten / & that he had been carried home dead drunk since he came back. I hate to believe it. I hope it aint so. I am going to town next week shall see both of them if I can and will try & satisfy my self if it is so. I never write you about these vices in relation to yourself, for you know my oppinion & more than all I have such implicit confidence in you & your morality that I feel & hope there is no need of my cautioning you but your position now is a little different than it was when you was a private. Eliza tells me that the officers most of them drink & gamble more or less. I know you like drink & sometimes I tremble when I think what might be. I would much rather you would die on the battle field than to have what is said of Johnson true of you, but do not I beg of you touch the stuff at all. it dose you no good, but my dear George I am talking to you needlessly I hope. / you say I kept you good while in Low Moor may the children & I be able to keep you good now. If you have taken occasionly dont do it any more for me George. you know not where it may lead to.

 

Mrs Jones brought on a very pretty girl with her 18 or 20 years old but she is very unfortunate it seems she has been courted by a fellow who boarded where she lived 2 or 3 years. he was thought to be a very fine fellow by every one but it seems courted another girl & was maried a few weeks ago & leaves her not only broken hearted but in family way she is more than half gone. they say she is one of the best girls that ever lived. had had poverty to contend with in every way. she says ignorance of sexual matters has ruined her. I feel sory for her.

 

Old man Gleason & wife have parted he pays her $1200.00 it seems they could not live with out quarreling & then her daughter has helped her & Abel has helped him so between them all they have had quite a fuss. / she was going to take Abel up for slander but they at last settled it. so it goes. this life dont seem to amount to much to some I feel. that I will try and be content even if you are away from me if you only keep good & true (& your life is spared). I will do my part in that line. you know it without my telling you, though it dose me good to have you tell me things about your self if I do know it. it seems to confirm it.

 

I asked Mrs Wallace about treating diareah. she says the soldiers skin get in to bad condition they need to bathe with soap, take warm injections to clense the bowels first & then cold ones. a wet girdle worn nights would be good but keep the skin in good condition & you will not have diareah

 

I am so glad Vicksburg is taken I hope you may get home for a while. I want to see you so bad. Good night dear. it is nearly 10 & I must go to bed with my babies.          

              Emelia

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