Head Quarters 77^th Regt. O.V.I.

Little Rock, Ark., Oct 3, 1863.

 

My very dear Wife:

                        Your kind letter of the 13^th ult. was received this afternoon, and as the mail leaves in an hour or two, I reply at once. How glad I am to get your dear sweet letters, love. It makes my heart beat faster whenever it is announced that "a mail has arrived. I always feel sure of a sweet missive or two from my darling wife. This morning, when the mail was first opened, I got only two letters—one announcing the death of Sergt. Hoover, at Helena, and the other asking a descriptive roll for Jacob Erlewine—and none from my sweet love. But I did not give it up. I told the boys that was not all of the mail, as I knew I should get a letter from you. After / dinner, sure enough, another lot of letters arrived—and among them one from you and one from Augusta. You may know there was "joy in the house of" Co G, as Artemus Ward would say.

 

            I am very glad to hear that you are all well, excepting a few symptoms of Frank having the chills. I hope he is well before now. I am in most excellent health.

 

            I have written you twice this week, and would like to have you saying my letters are all received. I have thought some of them were lost in a steamboat disaster, or some way.

 

            I am Officer of the Day to-day, but I always take time write to you.

 

            I would like to see Lynn now. He must be a cute little one to talk. I would like to hear him say "Letter in Post Office for Lee". He must be a tease waking up the folks at 5 in the morning. "'Ten" would / get up "earlier than that" to see him—much as he likes to sleep in the morning. I would like to have him "kissee" Pa, and love me "a dollar a bushel".

 

            In regard to you retaining your beauty, I hope to find you just as handsome as you are now when I return. No difference if you are thirty-two—that isn't old. Besides, a lady who possesses the buoyancy of spirits that you do, does not get old very fast. Still, I would love you better than all the world besides, if you were much older and not half as handsome. I guess daughter will consider you sufficiently dignified to be obeyed. You are right about our seeing but few pretty women. Until we reached this city, we seldom saw a white woman, and of course very seldom a pretty one. Excuse the ungallant remark. I suppose we "lords of creation" ought to consider all the fair sex beautiful, but I can't see it, and must be truthful. 

 

Augusta said she would answer my letter now that you were not with me to read her letter. Well, I will tell you a few things she writes in her last. She says: "Mrs. Mac gladdened us with her presence—looking very well, and the children in fine spirits. They all look finely. Their sojourn in Alton, I think, has proven very beneficial to them. Lee is a very handsome boy—but I ought not to add to a father's pride in the boy by using such an expression." She talks now of waiting for Lee. She informs me H. Wesselman and Alice Brennan are married, and that Capt. Gaz. Paxton has been at home. She says: "I wish you could call in and have some of our very fine grapes some evening." Won't you call darling, and eat a few for me? It will do me a great deal of good for you to have such a luxury, if I cannot.

 

            Col. Mason is better. Our boys are generally well. The 77^th has more of its aggregate for duty than any Regt in the Division.

 

Give my regards to the friends. We have just heard of the severe battle near Rossville, by Gen. Thomas' Corps of Rosecrans' Army and Bragg's forces. We at first feared "Rosey" was worsted but hope not from later accounts.

 

With much love to you and the children, I am, dearest love,

                                                                                   

yours forever

Mac

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