Marine Hospital New Orleans L.A. Oct 26^th/63

 

                        Dear Wife again I will try and spend a little while in writing to you as I can do so more cheerfully now as I got a good long letter from you yesterday that was written the 7^th & 8^th of this month

 

            I am still in the Marine hospital and am having very good health although I was quite sick when I first came here but soon got over it and went to work here I think that I shall probably stay here for some time yet for I have no one that finds fault with me yet and I shall try to not give any one the chance to do it

 

            I had nothing new to write until I recd your letter that has suggested some new ideas and so I will write some. I was some what surprised when I got your letter to hear that you had been to Seneca but at the same time I was glad of it for I think that it will do you good and if you would go more than you do it would not hurt you but be the means of improving your health and to keep you from getting down hearted and lonesome 

 

            Well how did you enjoy your visit at Lodi & Ovid as well as you always do I hope and did you visit enough there for you and me to my part of the visit I did not enjoy much for I knew nothing of it until it was all over with and the best part gone but I will take mine when I come home and have the more of it so as to make up for lost time But you think it a long time to wait but it will soon pass by if we are patient and keep up good courage I know from what I have seen here in the hospital that a person of good courage has ten chances to recover from sickness to one chance of one that is discouraged and downhearted There is no one that would like be home with family & friends more than I but with all that I do not allow my self to become dispondent and home sick but my motto is that I am going home again if not this month it may be next if not this year it may be next but as for being discouraged I am not nor have not been since I left home and shall not be if I have to stay my whole time out in the service there is other climates that would probably be better for me but yet I will be content and abide my time which I hope for you as well as my sake may be short here away from home & friends 

 

            Your description of Ovid has nearly made me sick of that place for I dispise a traitor above all things and particularly a Northern one may they reap the reward of their acts. Is there another Printing Office in Ovid be sides Fairchilds if there is I will write an article for its paper and let them know what is thought of copperheads here in the South

 

            I hope you had a good time visiting at F. B. Pomeroys for he is generally good company I should like to see the Old Sap for I do not think that he is Sesesh

 

            It grieves me to hear of Aunt Charitys [?] death for I had hoped to have another good visit there yet with her but she is gone to her rest which I trust is peacefull for I think she tried to do right while in life                       

 

you did not tell me any thing about Mrs Crisfield all that you said about them was that George was married but did not say who to but then it probably some one that I was not acquainted              

 

I was sorry to hear that Mary Fountain dead for although she was full of life yet there always seemed to be something good about her that any one could not help but admire that knew her.           

 

But I must tell you of a little thing that to me here yesterday and to day this morning when I went to give the doctor the morning report of the condition of the ward (which I have to do every morning) he handed me a letter and took me one side and told me to sit down and read. the letter was a charge or was charges against me for purloining or rather eating up the rations of the sick men some ten in number which would be five pints of Oyster Soup and the same amount of chicken soup and the same of milk with a slice of toast for each and some other things with them do you not think that I am a big eater more so than usual especially to eat milk Well when I had read the letter the Doctor asked me what I had to say about it I told him not much of any thing until the one that wrote the letter would sign his name to it then I was ready to defend myself before that was done I thought there was no need of saying anything about it well he said that he thought so to and said let it go for he had known me long enough to think different of me than that 

 

            But I told that I would deny the charges and then he might investigate the matter for himself but he would not listen to it at first but finally he told me to send in any two from the ward that I was a mind to and he would question them and see what there was of it so I sent in two men but when it was known in the ward what was going on there was a dozen that wanted to go for me but two was all that was necessary for he sent word back that he was satisfied and everything was all right with me but he is trying hard to find out who wrote the letter when he finds who done that he will have to leave on a double quick. I have found that I have never since I enlisted lost anything by doing right but on the contrary have gained many favours by so doing

 

            W. S. Drake was here and staid all night with me last night he has got his discharge and expects to start for home Saturday. I send my watch home to you by him you will probably get this letter before he gets there as this goes on a mail boat and he on a transport the Catawba

 

            The picture on the first page of this letter is a representation of the St Charles Hotel on the corner of St Charles and Common Streets in New Orleans it is a front view

 

            the number of this letter would be 26 but I shall commence again back to one But I must stop for it is getting late and there is another mail goes Saturday and perhaps I will write again by that mail                       

 

Write to me often even if you have not much to write I shall send you more money in a few days as I think that we shall be paid again next week Give my thanks to Mr & Mrs Reynolds for their kindnes to you tell lilly that I sent her a paper to day and Frank an almanac and will write them a letter before long

 

Yours as ever

L. V. Tucker

SOURCES