Headquarters 33^rd Wis. Vol.

Camp near Black River Miss.

Feby. 18^th 1864

 

My Ever Dear Annie:—

                                    I have no opportunity to send mail out today and may not have for several days but I feel as though I must write and send the first mail that goes out. I have had nothing from you since your letter of Jany. 30^th which I received just before I wrote last. I am very very lonesome dear. I was about to say that you can have no idea how lonesome and homesick I am but I know that you do understand it. Little did I think when I left you that I should have to be absent from my dear loving / wife so long. When I can be doing something to hurry this matter along and shorten my stay I feel a little more satisfied but when I have to sit still and wait, wait, wait day after day I am perfectly wretched. It does try my patience to the very last degree it will bear, and sometimes when I sit down and think the affair all over from beginning to end I do most heartily wish that I had never taken a step toward the Regt. I am well satisfied however that this course would have got me into serious trouble and after all it may prove to be the best thing that I could have done to come back. I certainly thought it the / safest course I could take and in fact the only safe course I could take. But I need not tell you all this my darling wife you know just what I thought and just why I left you. You know too that I will not stay away from you a single day longer than I can help. My only happy moments are while thinking of the glad day when I can look on your dear face again and my most earnest prayer is that the good Lord will preserve our lives and health until that long looked for day shall come. Let us be patient a while longer my love. That happy day will come. Then we shall be happy indeed

                                                                                                                       

We have had no positive information from the expedition yet. their 20 days rations will soon be gone however and in all probability we shall soon hear from them. if they do not return it is supposed by some that either all or a part of the forces may go through to Rome Ga. or to Mobile. This is all supposition however. I hope we shall hear from them in a few days.

           

The weather continues unusually dry and pleasant. The buds and blossoms on the trees are all out and evry thing indicates that spring is here. Our camp is in a large peach orchard and the peach trees are in bloom all around us. I will wait until the mail goes out before finishing this—

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