Harissonburg Feb 17^th 1864

 

            Dear wife I take the present opportunity of answering your letter of the 21^st & 24^th of last month which came to hand yesterday & found me in very good health & spirits only in regard to your situation at the present time yet I feel better satisfied with you being where you are than to have you at town but it grives me that you have no more house room than you have I know that Jess & Matilda will do the best they can for you for which I feel very thankful to them for but these are trying times which try men's souls. I was very glad to receive a letter from you at this time and makes me feel better to know that you are a little farther removed from danger but I wish you were all further away yet as it would not take long for the enemy to get to where you are if they were successful I am sorry that our horses are gone but what is passed cant be helped therefore it is useless to grive about it you spoke about Pery wanting to by our place in town I would rather you would not sell tell I get home unless you could lay the money out to advantage right off as I am afraid the money to keep would be worth nothing and even now here you could not buy two horses & a wagon for that amount of money 

 

I started you a letter on the 12^th inst by James Downard he said he would go to se you but he did not know that you would be moved when he got home I think he will come any how. I wrote you how he got a furlough I sent you two hundred dollars by him I told him if he needed it to make use of it as he did not have enough to buy a horse.

 

You wanted to know why walkers men could come home & none of our's well the only reason that I can assign is that Muton our Division commander is a frenchman & dont sympathise with Texans while Walker is a white man I dont believe there will be any more furloughs granted this winter as it is reported now that the feds are advancing this way we are still at Ft Beauregard now Harissonburg they are fixing up the fort have two thirty two pounders mounted & fixing to mount more there are upwards of two hundred negroes working on the place

 

I have not much news to write you at this time I have plenty of clothing to do me till summer & you need not try to send me any except a pair or two of socks if you have any made for me keep them till I come home to get them. there seems to be various opinions in regard to our prospects now, the most of them believing this war will end next summer or rather this year. 

 

And now my dear wife Sister & Brother these are perillous times death & destruction are in our land life is uncertain death is certain he is abroad in our land he has been gathering by thousands his instruments of execution glisten on evry hill his roaring is heard in evry breeze his harvest is great his executioners are being multiplied by thousands. yet we are spared yet we are in good health & have the right use of our reasonable faculties why is this when so many of our fellow beings whose prospects for happiness in this world have been cut off & are now trying the realities of another world to reap their reward of happiness or woe as the case may. Should we not be thankful to our God that he in his mercy has spared us & that we still have his loving mercy extended towards us Should we not be thankful to him for his mercies towards us. then let us render unto him that praise & service which is due from us to him let us try & make our peace with him while we yet have time let us try & live in the performance of our duty so that if we should be called away we will be ready to render up our accounts so much the more let us use all diligence in fighting the good fight of faith & may the Lord in his mercy give us of his spirit to guide protect & guide us in the way of all truth, is the prayer of your husband & brother.

Thomas W Johnson /

 

Feb^r 18^th          dear wife I will finish my letter this evning I am in very good health now & hope this may find you all the same we have just got orders to cook two days rations I expect we will go below here to trinity to garison that place some of the officers started home to day on furlough I would have sent this by them if I had known it in time Jim Devenport started this morning my prospect for coming home is slim although Ben and I will petition in a day or two if we get a furlough I will be at home soon say against march 20^th if not you need not look for me soon. I am in hopes Jess will get to stay at home some I have no army news to write you tell Matilda that I am sorry that she is in the fix she is and I think she ought to quit her bad habits and I am really afraid if I come home that you will fall into the same bad habits, but not withstanding I shall come home if I can & now dear wife I must come to a close give my love to Jess Matilda & the children & yourself & take the best care of yourself you can So no more but remain your affectionate husband                                      

Thomas W Johnson

 

            P.S. we tried this evning to get our furloughs started but the Captain would not approve them he said he orders not approve any more from a company now So I cannot come, now, do not grieve though may the Lord Bless & comfort you    T W Johnson

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