Officers Hospital       

No. 17 & 18 Front Row Memphis Tenn.

June 22^nd 1863

 

Miss. Annie M. Henry

            Sparta Wis.

 

My Dearest Annie:—

I should have written to you yesterday but I thought in the forenoon I would delay writing until evening and in the evening I felt quite unwell. This morning I feel considerable better.

 

Our sutler came up the river yesterday morning direct from the regiment. He came in to see me as soon as he got here and told me that a leave of absence of 20 days had been granted me to go home, and that a messenger was sent with the papers to Young's Point the very morning I started away from there. In fact the boat I was on was still in sight when the messenger got there. Our sutler told me that he thought the papers had been forwarded to me but they have not reached me yet, and if they do not soon the time will be so near up that they will be of no use to me. I have made up my mind to have an examination by the surgeons here as soon as I can get one, and if I can to get a certificate of disability. On this certificate I will base my reasons for resigning and send / in my resignation. It will take several weeks to bring this about dear and we must wait with patience. If they will not accept my resignation I will then apply for a leave of absence which I think I can get.

 

Keep this matter entirely to yourself dear. Do not let any one know a word of it, as it may fail and if it does I do not want any one but yourself to know any thing about it. I will use evry precaution to make it successful but evry thing of the kind is very uncertain in the Army and I shall have but little hope until I know I am successful. Let us pray to God darling earnestly that He will direct all for our good. I will write you evry few days and let you know just how matters progress and I shall expect to hear from you as often as soon as you learn where I am. I have not had a letter from you for a long time dear, a long, long time. I suppose they have all gone down the river. I shall get them sometime, but now is the time I want them. they would do me so much good. I have not written to William yet since I have been sick I will try and write to him in a short time. As I told you before I have the best of care here, and Still it would be a great satisfaction to be at home and to enjoy your loved society. God grant that I may not long be deprived of this the hourly desire of my heart.

 

I must close for to day darling as the nurse is going to scrub the floor and I must lay down.

                                               

As Ever faithfully Yours

Geo. Haw

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