Intrenchments Near Petersburg Va

Sunday Aug 7^th 1864

 

Dear Euphemia

                        Yours of the 2^nd inst. was received this morning. I am very glad to hear from you, but I am sorry indeed to hear that your health is not improving as formally. There is no inteligence that gives me so much pleasure as to hear that you are steadily regaining your health, and that you are contented and happy, and none that gives me so much pain as to hear you are afflicted with declining health. yet I am always anxious to know the worst as well as the best. Now my little Queen let me advise you as you regard your own wellfare and the love and happiness of your friend Russ to be very careful of your health. Do not let the ambition of an hour rob you of all the advantages gained in a month or / perhaps a longer time. Frequent exercise will surely prove a benefit to you, but beware of taking too much at a time. I hope you will not be offended dear Phemia at the liberty I so often take in giving you advice in this respect. My motive for doing so is prompted by love, and the intrest I take in your wellfare. I am sorry my dear girl that my letters have unexpectedly raised hopes and anticipations in your mind that there is no hopes of realizing at present. Do not be disappointed when I tell you that by saying I hoped to meet you sooner than circumstances seemed to promice that I did not intend to convey the idea that I had any prospects of seeing you soon, but that prospects at present looks dark and gloomy, and circumstances seems to promice that our services would be required the full term of our enlistment. I cannot tell you when you may look for me. I wish I could set a time when we should meet and feel / that there was no danger of being disappointed. how glad I should be to see you. But as I always strive to hope for the best, I trust that some fortionate circumstance may soon occur that will cast a new ray of light about us and give us good grounds for brighter hopes and better prospects. If the hope of again meeting you was lost, I should feel as if my star of future happiness had sunk beneath the horrizon, and little was left worth living for. But I still cherish the bright hope of again meeting you in health and in a land restored to peace and quietness. If I am so fortionate as to realize this hope, your society and living in the sunshine of your love, will doubly repay me for all the dangers I have encountered and all the hardships and privations I have endured in my military life. Pardon me for being so negligent as not to mention Charlies name in my letter and inform you of his health, but you may rest assured if he is sick, I shall not forget that you, being his sister, / have a right to know it. He is not one of the number that has been to the hospital nor he has not lost but two or three days from duty on account of ill health since the regiment left Yorktown. He is now enjoying good health. The sickness in the army does not prove fatal in many cases, slight billious attacts such as agues, fevers &c, probably brought on by exposure, are of more frequent occurence than any other form of disease. The weather is very warm and oppressive, the heat seems to increase rather than diminish. We have had very little rain for several days. The weather is bright and clear and we get the full benefit of a Southern sun. I hope I may hear from you again soon. I shall look anxiously for your next letter, but if you have not recovered, do not write to me til you are fully able to. I hope this may find you at least as well as usual. This leaves me in good health. Accept of my love and good wishes. May Heavens blessings be yours. Truly and Affectionately Your Friend

Russel F. Wright

 

To Euphemia O. Gillet                                                                       

 

[top front margin upside down]

 

I have not received any injuries thus far and hope that I may still continue to escape them. General Ames is in command of the 2^nd Division at the present time and Gen. Ord has command of the 18^th Corps.

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