Marine U.S.A Gen Hospital New Orleans L'a. March 24^th 1865

 

Dear Wife

            Yours of the 2^d of March and of the 9^th I recd a day or two since and have not had time to answer them yet for I have been very busy for a few days back. But I will write some now even though the work is not done as the mail goes north to morrow morning

 

            I am yet well but feel very sad to hear of the sickness of the children and of the amount of hard work & suffering that you have to endure alone. Oh if I was only there with you to help you to take care of them It would seem as if I could content myself so much better and then it would take so much of your hands you must be nearly worn out by this time having to do all and all alone. How I wish I was there with you & the children it seems wrong for me to be here while they are sick when I should be at home with them but yet I am here and still worse no money to send you so that you can be comfortable or get the necessaries of life and yet the government owes me nearly $200. which I had ought to have had as it became due

 

            I have a good many things here that I could send you if I only had the money to pay the freight. Such things you need I could fill a large box & send home all of which you could use

 

            I have quite a number of bottles of different kinds of medicine that I am going to send to Mr Heath when I send a box home. I have got 5 pounds of tea to send you and about the same of white sugar

 

            I got a letter from Hort. Miller last week He was well he spoke of a number of the boys and said they were well as soon as I answer the letter I will send it to you for I think that you will like to read it. I had one from Jo Rush but I do not know but that I told you of that the last time I wrote. The weather is very warm and fine here now I wish that it was so at home the / trees are green and nice it very refreshing and makes me think that summer is nearly here. vegetables are getting quite plenty in market now

 

            I wish that you and the children could be here for about a month now to enjoy the spring here but I should not want you here in the summer for it is so unhealthy here then

 

            There has been a great many cases of small pox here this winter probably 5000 cases yet I have escaped so far

 

            Tell the children that I am coming home in a little while to stay with them and then we will have a good time and may be we will get on the cars and go out west & see Mr Whites little boy & girl. I will send them some papers as soon as I can get them

 

            Ma keep up good courage for 5 months more and then I shall be free again

 

            But I must stop for this time but will write again in a day or two also to Mr Heath & Mr Reynolds

 

            Write as often as you can is those envelopes all gone that I brought home [faded] that had my name printed on if they are I will send you more

 

                        Yours as Ever

                                    L. V. Tucker

SOURCES