Marine Hospital New Orleans L'a Feby 17^th 1864

 

Dear Wife      

            As it has been some four or five days since I have written to you I will try to night and write you another one although as usual I have but very little to write that has any interest in it to you or any one else. I do not know when this will go North for there is no mail ship advertised to leave here until next week thursday but I will have it ready when there is an opportunity for sending it so there shall be no delay on my part

 

            To day I received yours & Mrs Heath's letter written the 27^th of Jan. I am allways glad to hear from home and as it had been some days since I heard from home it came more welcome from that reason

 

My health remains about the same only I have a little cold now and my lungs feels a little soar but that will soon leave I guess for it is pretty warm weather down here but cool nights some like it was in Maryland only not so warm as it was then

 

            Those two papers of pills came through all safe and without being jammed up. Tell Mrs Heath that I am very greatly obliged to her for them little pills as she called them and if there was more of them used here in the place of so much opium I think there would not be near so many dying as there is. Camphor, opium & quinine are the three principle medicines used in the army and the reason that so few realize that they are dying is because of taking so much opium that they are stupified and do not realize anything. My opinion is that some of the Doctors in the Army will have more to answer for than I care about taking the responsibility of for their treatment of the sick under their charge 

 

I am glad that you got that ring that I sent you not because was so nice but that I am glad that you get what little I do send to you even if it is of not much account. but I am sorry that the one that I sent to Mrs Heath was to small, but when I send that box that I spoke of in my last letter I shall send some 6 or 8 more and then she can get one probably that will fit her. The box I think that I shall send this week if I can get a box to put the things in that I want to send to you. I shall send you in this letter that pin that I have spoken of once or twice before it will make you a good shawl pin. I do not know as I told you what it is made of but it is the scale of an alligator just as it grew in his hide only cleaned off. I have another that I shall get fixed for myself and wear it. it is a little smaller than this one that I send you Perhaps that you will laugh at my foolishness in getting such things but I cannot help it you do, they do not cost anything and that is cheap enough

 

            I am going to write to Mrs Heath in answer to her but you need not be jealous for I tell you of it perhaps I shall write so that it will come by the same mail that this does if the mail does not go to soon for me but if it does I shall write

 

            I was down in the city to church last Sunday night but it does not seem like going to meeting at home. the text Jeremiah 7 Chap & 3^d verse there was a good many there but mostly soldiers. Next time that I go I think that I shall go to some other church for a change

 

            I had a letter last Saturday from George Cook he writes that they are comfortably situated but his health is not yet very good but he does not have much to do he says Nat is well and the boys generally are pretty well he says that it is rumoured that Regiment is going to be mounted or turned into Cavalry 

 

            But I shall have to stop for it is getting late but will write again in a few days probably before the week is out so if I do not write so much I write the oftener to make it up

 

I was in hopes that I should get my pay so as to send it to you before this but have not got it yet and shall not now I think until the first of March. have you got the dollar that I sent you yet. I put it a letter that I wrote the 19^th Jan I would like to send more but have not got it to send now but will send it as soon as I get it

 

But good night and write as often as you can

 

Yours affectionately

L. V. Tucker

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