Marine Hospital New Orleans L.A.

Sept 29^th 1863

 

Dear Wife

                                                Once more I will try and write a short letter to you in order to let you know how I am getting along and also to let you know where I am. I am still stopping at the Marine hospital and have been put back in my old place here after getting well for I was quite unwell when I first came here about two weeks ago. then I was nurse in ward A and the Steward has put me back there again and I think I shall be pretty likely to stay for some time but yet I do not know. although I had rather be with the Regiment if I was able to endure the marching and the camp life for where I am I do not get any chance of seeing anything new while if I was with the Regiment I should be enjoying the scenery along the route and have a chance to see some of the country beside and yet not have any fighting to do but simply to help take care of the wounded and sick but I should have to lie on the ground nights and be out in the rain and hot sun. the sun shines very hot down here about these days and the roads are very dusty which taking all together makes it very unpleasant to travel                       

 

The last that I heard from the Regiment they were at Franklin about 100 miles from here they had a pretty sharp fight last spring. they are going over the same ground that they did last spring until they got to Alaxandria and from there they will strike off for Texas they calculate to march through to galveston the place that they intended to go to when they went down the Gulf and were driven back with the loss of two Gun Boats and two companys of men of the 75^th N.Y.V I hope that they will succeed better this time and do what they have under taken and not fail It was not the fault of our regiment that they did not succeed before 

 

I recd a letter from you last Friday the one that you wrote about the time that Eliza and Charles was there to see you I was very glad to get it and to hear from home again and to know that you were as well as you were

 

            You wrote in that that you had just received that money that I sent you by J. H. Miller I am glad that you have got it I have sent you two letters since with $5.00 in each I hope that you will get them all right

 

I am afraid that Miller has had to high an idea of me and has praised me up more than I can bear him out in doing but I hope not but I can say of him that he is a gentleman in every sense kind and obliging to all and he has been particularly so to me all through and I  he is a good Officer one that I should like to see promoted for he is worthy of it

 

Well what would you think if you should hear that I had changed my regiment and had a commission in a coloured Regiment how would it sound to hear Lieutenant Tucker of a Negro Regiment for three years yet and a $105.00 per month pay shall I take it I have had it offered me but have not yet concluded to take it I want your opinion of it I am not joking about it at all

 

            I am very glad to hear you say that father is so smart it does me good to hear it I have a present for him as soon as some one comes home that I can send it by I can not well put it in a box or I would send it to him that way but I will send it as soon as I can give him my best respects and tell him that I am much obliged to him for his kindness to you and the children when I come home he shall not work so hard I will work for him and he need not work for me as hard as he used to when I was home 

 

            I have written three or four letters to Mr Reynolds and will write him another soon I sent him a box of seeds a few days ago and this morning I mailed him 2 papers. I sent father one a day or two ago, and you one this morning with some alligators teeth in they were quite small teeth but yet you can see the shape of them. I took to the Express office last Saturday and sent to you a box I paid the charges on it to Newark so it will cost you but a shilling to get it from there I wrote in my last letter what it had in it and about the flute for Westfall the cartman at Newark the box will probably go on the same boat that carries this letter so you will get them nearly at the same time

 

            Give my best respects to Reynolds tell him I think of him very often and wish that I could enjoy his society as I used to. You spoke about that note of Bills has he not paid yet if not make him do it as soon as possible for I do not think much of a man that take the method that he did to stay at home and not serve his country in the hour of need

 

            If you have got the money you had better get your coal soon before it gets higher get 3 or 4 tons if you have not got the money take one of them county scrips and get the money on it then you can get your winter stock before every thing gets so dear I hope that when an other winter comes I shall be home to get things for you and so that you will not have to work so hard

 

            You said that I could not find another like Mr Reynolds in that county but I can when he is there that is for kindness and that the man that brought you that money from me J. H. Miller he will do all for me that he possibly could and would for you if he was there 

 

Has George Burley ever brought you that swarm of bees yet you recolect that I sent a hive there last summer for him to put a swarm in for me

 

            Tell Franky that I shall expect him to go to school and learn so fast that he can write me a letter by next spring I want him to be a good boy and help you all he can and I shall like him first rate tell him that I think of him very often and would like to see him Tell Lilly I am glad that she is such a good girl and I will write her a letter before long tell her to kiss Ma for me I would like to see her and all of you first rate if I could and will come as soon as I can

 

            Tell Ezra Hibbard when you see him that I wish him much joy in his weded life

 

but I must stop for this time

 

Write soon and often to

L. V. Tucker

 

(PS)

            I wrote to Jennings to day for the first time since I left New York

 

            I will send you more money as soon as I get my pay I have a little that I will send    you the next time that I write

            L.V.T

SOURCES