Yorktown Va.

April 18^th 1864.

 

Dear Mother:

                        I will now try to answer your worthy letter or note bearing date March 20^th, the same that I received enclosed with two sheets well covered with Fathers well known chirography. Although I have acknowledged the receipt of the letter, something more is required of me to do justice to its merits and its author I will take the subjects as they are mentioned and I believe that by the time I write all the thoughts suggested by the reading of your compendium of news & good advice I shall have written enough for / one letter. Your reason for not writing more though it may be just the best reason possible seems to me very conclusive evidence that you are having too much work upon your hands for your good. You must exercise all your tact to get & keep from under the burden of household drudgery. Remember that I your sincerely affectionate son Charles say this and echo the feelings of others while I express my own. Don't think that you at home can be more interested in hearing from me than I am in getting any bit of home news. I have received another letter from Grandmother recently. I will send it with some of my other letters ere long. I will answer the letter very soon. The summer is coming and you need not be worried / about my conflict with the ague. I think that I can vanquish my foe so that he shall be "done gone" forever when the warm weather becomes settled. I have not been troubled with it now in several days & I am bound to use every possible & reasonable preventative of more shakes. The way it has been with me the past winter if I did not take my morning powder in case of the least extra exposure to storm or wet I would be about sure to have from one to five chills, the only cure being the use of quinine. Don't have any fears that I will hurt myself by taking it. I will look out, of course. I am glad that Phema is so well & improving so fast. I think it a good idea sending her on a visit to Broome. It seems to me strange that Missa should be troubled with any soreness of the throat now. I wrote a letter / to Father last friday just before I received one from him & Missa. I spoke my mind about the Copperhead [word scratched out]. I am glad that Father has got up such a good barrier against [remainder of sentence scratched out]. About my enlisting for money. I never saw it nor do I see now where I can save as much as Father is paying Roger per month. About my being able to secure a higher position in the service I will speak of it another time. I must hurry this to a close if I would get it off in the mornings mail. I will mail a no. of the Cavalier, a half sheet, with this and you will get all the news worth much. the troops are coming here in transports very fast. A large army will be here ere long and another move up the Peninsula will be made. I enclose one ten dollar bill with this and promise more soon. We were paid two months pay this A.M. instead of Saturday as I expected when I wrote last to Father. Write often and believe me ever the same

                                                                       

Your Affectionate Son

Charles A. Gillet

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