N.O.                           

Marine Hospital Dec 16^th 1863            

         

            Dear Wife

                        Another letter I will commence to you and if I do not finish it now I will in time for the Saturdays mail boat that leaves here then for New York

 

            Your letter of the 24^th and 29^th of Nov I received yesterday and as usual it came very welcome and acceptable to me. It found me still at the Marine Hospital but improving in health and feeling better than I have for a long time although I am not yet well. I was glad to hear that you are well and that Lilly is getting better I hope that when I get your next letter that it will tell me of her being well again tell her that Pa is very much obliged to her for the penny that she sent me and that as soon as I can I will send her something to pay her for her sending me so many presents                   

 

you say that you do not want me to lie to about my health as Wes Drake did Now let me ask you what object I could have in lying to you even though some one else did. would that make me any better either in health or as a man in principle. No. what I tell you is the truth for I cannot see any thing to gain in telling what is not true. If I do not want you to know how I am I certainly shall not lie about it but in stead would not write anything about it So when I write you may know that I am telling you what is so In regard to what Wes told you I am not responsible for I certainly did not tell him to say anything about my health. he asked me what he should tell you in regard to how I was and my answer was he could see for himself how I was and could tell from that what to tell you about me so you can see how much I am to blame in the matter. I do not want any body to lie for me yet for I do not think it necessary for me to lie for myself and I shall get any one to do it for me now 

 

            I am glad that you get the money that I send you all right. I wish that I could send you more than I do so that you would not have to suffer so much for things to wear and use but I will send you all that I can and try and not keep so much for myself after this

 

            I have written to Mr Reynolds and told him all about what I could do for him in getting those blankets while I am here it will be impossible for me to get any unless I buy them but if I go up to the regiment I think that I can get them for him and will if I can possibly send them to him                   

 

Tell frank that I am going to come and get that two dollars after a while so he must keep it until I come but he may eat the apples for me himself I sent him some money a spell ago have you got it I had calculated to write to him before this but have not done it yet but I will before a great while if I lack any in not writing to him I have made it up in writing to you for this makes 2 letters a week for the last six weeks on an average but I shall write to him soon and to you as often as I have anything to write

 

            I wrote to you in my last something about a meeting in Fort Jackson among the Negroes and that they had killed all of their Officers but it is not so all there was of it was that a Lieut was agoing to tie and whip one of them for some offence and they would not let him do it they said that he must punish him the same as they would white soldiers so there was no body killed or hurt

 

            I got a letter from Aunt Sally last Saturday she spoke of being down to see you. She wants me to go up to Baton Rouge and see about W^m clothes and learn the particulars of his death I should like to go firstrate but it would cost me some 10 or 12 dollars to go and back and I cannot afford it I wrote to her once before and told her how it was and now I have written again

 

            But I must stop for my paper is full Write often                   

L. V. Tucker

 

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Have you got my photograph yet I sent mine and a few days after sent another one of a friend here his is the best picture by a goodeal. have you got your ring yet that I sent you

 

Have you got your other letter that I sent you with $10. in written Nov 15^th

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