Marine Hospital N. Orleans L'a Feby 19^th 1864

 

Dear Wife although but two or three days has passed since I wrote you a letter yet I will commence another to you to night but shal not finish it probably until Sunday because to morrow night there is to be a grand torch light procession and if nothing takes place to prevent me I shall go down in the city to see it and if there is anything worth writing about I will tell you of it when I finish this letter

 

            To day I packed up the box of things that I have and to morrow I shall take them to the Express Office to start them for home I shall send the box to Mr Reynolds as I wrote you in one of my other letters. The blankets are in the top of the box and he can take them out and give you the rest that is in it. There in it besides the blankets two pair cotton drawers, one mosquetoe bar, one pair cloth slippers one pillow case, two pairs pants, one dress coat, one tea & one table spoon, 3 knives and forks, a package of my letters, a lot shells. A small earthen jar with 7 or 8 rings in and those pennies that the children sent me, a bone watch key & an alligator scale, my last years Memoranda Book, and a pipe and specks. The pipe and specks you may give to father The dress coat I would like for you to keep for me but the other clothes you can do what you are a mind to with. I do not pay the freight on this because I have no money, that is the reason of my sending it to Mr Reynolds. the freight will probably be $3. or 3 and a half but I shall write to Mr Reynolds after I get back from the Express office to morrow and tell him about it 

 

To day I got a letter and four papers from you and a letter from Aunt Sally Hibbard. I have not yet had time to read the papers but I am glad to get them and shall read them before long. I sent you a paper this morning the True Flag also a letter with that pin in it and a letter to Mrs Heath but I will stop now and finish this at another time Good Night

 

Sunday night Feby 21^st                                  

Well I will write a little more to night although I shall not probably finish my letter as I could not get my box taken down to the Express office yesterday but shall try to morrow                  

 

I was down to see the torch light procession last night but with the exception of the music it was rather a poor affair in the way of torch light procession. there was some four brass bands with it which helped the thing along the procession was about a half mile long but only a few torches to the number out the streets was crowded with spectators the whole distance

 

To morrow is Election day here also Washingtons Birth Day and in the morning it is to be celebrated with music and the firing of cannon. I think that I shall go down and hear the music. the brass band is to consist of 50 musicians that number ought to make a big noise as well as the cannon, but if I do go down I will tell you about it when I get back. Those blankets that I send this time to Mr Reynold I give to him, do not take any pay for them of under any consideration not even if he should urg you to take it, for I am glad that I can do even that much for him and will do more as soon as the opportunity presents it self I only wish that it was ten times as much as it is that I was sending to him this time but I hope that I can pay him yet before I die 

 

            The money that I sent to Frank last I told him to divide it with lilly so that she should not feel bad about it. I write to them about as often as I can and try to write to first one and then the other, and generally a little to both in every letter that I write to them I shall write to Lilly again soon

If I do not come to help you eat those hams & shoulders you must eat an extra piece for me I wrote to Mr Reynolds about two weeks ago & told him about sending the box

 

            Uncl Sam had nothing to do with that pin that I sent you for it growed in a different animal than one of his boys is I think But I must quit again for to night to morrow night I will try and finish it. Good night again

 

            Feby 24^th         Well I did not get this finished last night as I said I would but I will try to night and finish it the reason that I did not finish it last night as I said I would was because I could not get the box to the Express office. but this morning I sent it down there by Mr White. But when he took it there and got it marked ready for the receipt they would not send it because I could not pay the freight. They charged four dollars freight on it and it only weighs 37 pounds, so you see that I shall have to wait until after pay day now before I can send it, which will two weeks yet I shall go down to morrow and if they will not send it I shall bring it back and wait until I get paid off again. I am sorry for I would like for Mr Reynold to have them blankets now while it is such cold weather up there for they would do him so much good but just as soon as I can I will send them to him for all that I can do for him will not pay him one half for what he has done for you since I have been gone 

 

            Well I was down to the public concert yesterday morning and I am glad that that I went for it was the best musical exhibition or concert that I ever heard. there was something like a hundred musicians all playing at once besides the martial bands that was there. The beating of the heavy notes with the cannon was the cutest part of the performance and came in just in time. There was estimated to be 12 thousand spectators present to see and hear it. I know that there was an awful crowd out

 

            I recd a letter and two papers from you to day but not until after I had sent off that box so I could not put in a cap for Frank, but if I bring it back up here I will open it and put in one for him before I send it. I shall not try to answer your letter to night but will do it so that I can send it by Saturdays mail

 

            I must stop now or I shall not have any thing to write next time

 

                        Write as often as you can to

 

And Oblige                            

L. V. Tucker

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