Marine Hospital New Orleans La Feby 5^th/64

 

Dear Wife

                        I will write again to night a short letter even if I have not much to write yet I can say that I am still here yet with a prospect staying for some time yet

 

            Your letter written the 17^th Jan I recd day before yesterday I was glad as usual to get it and hear that you were all well and I hope that you will continue so

 

My health is about as good as usual although I have had a pretty sharp attack of the diarrhea but am over it now I think

 

            As near as I can find out the Surgeon in charge of the hospital has fixed it so that I shall have to stay here as long as he is a mind to keep me I have asked him about it but could not get any satisfactory answer, but I hope that it is not the case for I do not want to stay here for a year & a half yet 

 

            Well the news of the 160^th reenlisting that you wrote me is the first that I have heard of it although it is known probably at home before it is here, it is generally the case. but the 160^th has not reenlisted and can not do it until after they have served over two years on the first enlistment, and in regard to a furlough for them that is out of the question for if there is any dirty or hard work to do they have to do it for the other Regiments are the favoured Regiments in this Department you need not look for any particular favour to be shown to our regiment unless there is some hard fighting to do then they are favoured with the privilege of going in to the fight first in all cases. well three years will roll round in a little while longer it is most half gone now the other half will soon be a going the same way I can stand a much better chance to get home if I am in the regiment than / I do here for if I ask for a discharge here they will put me into the Invalid Corps and then I shall have to stay in the hospital or in the city here on some kind of duty and if I cannot go home I want to go where I can see more of the country than I have yet seen

 

            Pay day has not come yet except to those that are going home and as I have no money to send you I will send you another ring perhaps you can live on them but I do not believe it yet for I cannot but it is late and I will stop for to night and write to you again soon

 

Yours truly

L. V. Tucker

 

(PS)

            I send Lilly two small books with

            this letter                                 L.V.T

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