Foster's. Oct 6th 63.
My Darling Husband.
I've received yours of Sept 28th and hasten to reply altho I know not where to direct my letter too. Not a line have I been able to write you since we parted but I assure you time and again have I wished that I knew where to direct your letters
My Darling you have no conception of how anxious I was concerning your fate in the last battle before I received your telegraph. And I am so thankful that you escaped so easily. But I do wish you could have come home. Oh! how often I reproached myself for being so willful while I was with you, and, instead of making you happy as I should have done, only being a continual source of trouble to you. My Darling do you think you'll ever be able to forgive your spoilt little wife for all her hateful acts while she was with you. I was telling Ma how kind you were to me and different things you had done for me, and she said any woman that had as good a husband as you were and did not treat him well and love him dearly ought to be killed. She did not know / how near her daughter came to deserving her sentence all that saves me is that I love you Oh! how dearly! I told her of my sickness, and she did not seem surprised at it. Said she had suffered from the same cause but not as severely as I did. I am not quite well yet, but it does not disturb me, only two small places that itch me continuous. The boil bursted and discharged some while I was in Mobile. Both of them are entirely well now. Not a shade of suspicion crossed Mother's mind that it was anything taken from you. You are like Caesar's wife with her, "Above even suspicion" She thinks you are one of the greatest fellows in the Confederacy. My Darling, if I could love and honor you any more, I would do so for your saving Mrs Laymann from insult. I think Mrs Laymann is a virtuous minded woman. And to such a woman, an insult of that kind must be almost as painful as death itself. And, another thing, her good character is her sole possession, and who ever attempts to take that away, robs her of her all, and such a man as that in my opinion is not one remove from a fiend of the very blackest regions. Oh! 'tis a pity that a person blessed with every personal attraction united with that greater blessing a good mind can use them for no better ends than to accomplish such evil deeds. How I pity his poor wife and feel so thankful that I'm not wed to such / a man for life. As you see by the heading I'm at Pa. Wilkerson's. I've been here a week and am very happy. Sister Sarah and her children are here also. She is different from what I expected to find her, not so lively and a great deal larger than I imagined she was. We went to the mill a few days ago and weighed Sister Sarah weighed 183½lb Sister Lydia 153lbs and your poor little scrap only 91lb Well "fine goods always comes in small packages" that's a small crumb of comfort. I love Mother very very much she seems to think every thing of her children. She says she has but one daughter that she can nurse that is myself. It would amuse you to see sister Lydia nursing me but the worst of it is she dont want me to get up when I tiard of sitting in her lap. And Bro Presley never comes in the room but what he sits down by my chair and rocks me all the time. Sister Sarah has three very interesting children. I'm sitting in the room that we staid in when you were here. And William and Presley sitting near me on the floor. William is not one bit like my Darling. He never will be as good looking as you are. Presley is very sweet and just begin to talk. The other day Sister Sarah had him in her lap and was trying to sing a little ballad, (Minnie Clyde) that I sing. All at once Presley raised up and said "Aunt Nannie sings that nice" He is a very / observing child I've just ask him whose sweet? and he says "Pressie". Sometimes I look at him and wish this terrible war was closed and you were at home and we had ___ ___ ___ just such a little Darling, dont you? Sister Lydia calls me her baby & Bro Basil brought me a paper of candy from Tuscaloosa last Saturday How do you like their making a baby of your wife. Ma's just come to enquire if I'm most through and send her love. Sister Sarah says if you know where Bro Washington is, please write to him, and tell him they are all well, with the exception of Presley who is having chills; also for him to write to her and let her know where to direct her letters. She says you and Bro Washington must look up each other if there should be another engagement up there, and my Darling let me beg of you if you get in a fight expose yourself as little as possible. I feel so sorry for Mrs Inge and think what if it was my husband instead of hers.
We are very uneasy about Tom. He was in Col Johnson's 10 Kentucky Regt. It is now in Forest command or that part of it that escaped from Kentucky. I wish if you find out where that command is you would write to Tom. Direct to Thomas W. Bryson, 10th Kentucky Regt Morgan's Brigade Forest Division Father is very anxious about him We hainote heard from him since the 25 of May. I wish I knew whether this letter will ever reach you. I have so much to tell you Can't you come home a little while and see your little grass widow. I wonder if your new boots got injured when your ankle was hurt I thought of what store you set by those boots and what a terrible blow it would be to you if they were injured. Aint your patience threadbare I ought to have given you this letter in broken doses. With a thousand and one responsive kisses with my arms right tight around your neck I am ever your willful little wife Nannie
[front margin]
My Darling How I wish you were at home with us now
When will I ever see my Husband again