Marine U.S.A. Gen Hospital N Orleans La

Dec 21^st 1864

 

Dear Wife

                        After most four weeks of travel I have finally arrived safe & sound back again to the Old Hospital

 

            I got here night before last about eleven Oclock at night and you better believe that I was glad to get on shore again where there was no rocking of the boat

 

We left New York City on Wednesday the 7^th & landed here on Monday night the 19^th being nearly 13 days on our way from New York here.               

 

The first five days out from New York the wind blew almost a perfect gale it blowed us some two or three hundred miles out of our course out to sea so that when it did calm down it took about a day & a half to get back in our right course, and then we had to stop at Key West 24 hours for to take on coal enough to last us through to New Orleans. And finally when we got up near the mouth of the river it was so foggy that it took us a half a day to get across the bar at the mouth of the river. So taking all things into consideration we had a pretty tedious time of of it but we are through safe at last The first five days out from New York it was very cold and I suffered a goodeal from it but when we got to Key West it was so warm that that I was very uncomfortable with my coat & vest of and even here I have not worn a coat any yet and am warm enough with out any on 

 

            Well I am getting rested out and feel first rate except that I am very hungry all of the time it seems that I cannot eat enough at a time to last me from one meal to another but I guess that I shall soon get over that. They were all seemingly very glad to see me back again although some of them had said that I would not come back here again. The Doctor & Steward were to all appearances much pleased in the morning when they found that I was here. the Doctor came in & shook hands with very heartily & inquired how I was had been since I went home. the had the story around here that I was very sick and not able to sit up any and did not look for me back yet So I took them some what by surprise

 

            I wrote you a short letter the day before I left New York but dated it wrong I think. I wrote it the 6 but I think that I dated it the 7^th I presume that you got that all right some time ago. I did not enjoy my stay in New York this time at all for I had lost what little money I had and I could even buy me an apple to eat but I got along very well. That cake that you made me came firstrate I tell you for I got tired of what we had to eat on the ship and that helped out a good many times they gave me about 2 pounds of cheese when I left the Soldiers home and the cake & cheese went good together I was not sea sick at all although it was very rough so long I expected that I should be 

 

            There is great calculations making here for a big Christmas Dinner. We have 25 turkeys and they are baking up 400 mints pies and lots of cake for that occasion. So we shall probably have a great time then

 

            There is about 100 more patients here now than there was when I left for home but yet the work is not very hard I found a letter here for me from Mr White and one from Jennings when I got here they were written in Oct

 

            Give my respects to Mr Cook & Mr & Mrs Heath I will write to them in a few days

 

            Tell Mother that I am very much obliged to her for them peaches & plumbs that she gave me I eat the plumbs up coming here and they relished firstrate. I will send her something for them as soon as I can

 

            Did you get the coal the day that I came away or did they not bring it

 

            They have not been paid of here since I went home money is pretty scarce here now

 

            Just as soon as I can get some I will send it to you

 

            But I will close for this time and will write again in a few days I shall write as often as once a week to you there is a mail steamer leaves New York for New Orleans every Saturday so if you put letters in the office for me on Wednesday they will be in time for Saturdays mail from New York 

 

            Write as soon & as often as you can I am anxious to hear how you are getting along

 

            I shall write to Mr White before long

 

            But I will stop for the Present

 

            Yours as Ever

                        L. V. Tucker

(PS)

            how does Frank & Lilly get along is Frank a good boy since I came away

               L.V.T

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