Antietam Hospital, April 24^th

 

            It is just after tea my good friend, &c am much inclined to spend a few moments in chatting to you. I was very glad to hear from you, & rejoice in your happiness in being once more at home, "Sweet home". Doubtless there is some one besides yourself who rejoices in your presence there once more. We miss your cheerful face & voice from Ward D & others speak of the lady who sat in my tent one evening with the [?] hood on Poor Charley misses you more than any one who has left the Wards. He is now in Ponto's tent, waiting to see what will "turn up" for him. But I presume he has given you all the items of interest in regard to himself & the Ward for I asked him to send a note with me. Smoketown begins to look / lonely enough, & ere long the glory will have departed. There are now remaining only about 75 patients, & on Monday 5 more are to leave for Frederick. All the old nurses who are able to do regimental duty have gone to the Army, & convalescents are left to do the Hospital work. Dr Van der Kieft has gone now to Washington where he will probably receive instructions as to the remaining patients & will also learn where he will be ordered for duty upon closing this Hospital. Well the end of Smoketown draweth nigh! It has been a very happy house to use for some months—a place of intense suffering, & close sympathy—but it has given me so much solid pleasure—the very best kind of pleasure to have the privileges of ministering in a slight degree to relieve the sufferings and loneliness of our brave Antietam boys. It is a saddening reflection that all the pain / endured here & all the anguish at homes so closely connected with this, is but a small part of the terrible portion of suffering to be poured out in our country! I hope you find no Copperheads in your region to battle against. If there are any such I beg you to let them feel the weight & strength of a good Antietam crutch in their head.

 

            We have been in the depths of a Maryland rain storm for the last two days. All the cripples, except some venturous ones like Hardy & Charley have been obliged to stay in the tents, but this evening the sun shines out before the setting, and everybody is coming out to take a peep at it, & enjoy the prospect of a bright day tomorrow. You need no more words to tell you how the boys have felt during the stormy time.

 

Dr Van der Kieft is made very happy by the arrival of his long-expected wife. They are very happy to be once more together, / as you can well realize, enjoying as you do your restoration to your friends. I am so thankful for you that you are there in safety. Forget not, my friend, to whose gracious protection and care you owe your life & its blessings.

 

Alfred Munroe has just been in to get some paper. He desires to his love to you and says that he expects soon to go to the Regiment & see the boys once more. The enclosed letter was brought me by rgmt a few days ago to send to you. It must have been somewhat delayed by the way. Theodore wrote me of his safe arrival. His address is 93½ West 26^th N.Y. My sister's with me spending a few days. It is almost homelike [faded]

 

I would be very glad to hear from you again, but my correspondents are so numerous that I can hardly promise to answer you promptly. Indeed, I must confess that you are indebted to the enclosed letter & Charleys note for my being even at all prompt now, for many letters unanswered are staring me in the face this moment. With kind regards to your wife I remain your sincere friend

Maria M. C. Hall

 

[top front margin upside down]

 

I suppose Charley has told you of De Murbais' departure for the Regt. and of Dr Truitt's doing duty in the Dispensary. You would not know Smoketown now, with all the changes—

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