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

Little Rock, Ark., Dec 17, 1863

 

My very dear Wife:

                        I received your very excellent letters this morning, dated Sept. 7 and Nov 30. Oh, dearest, how glad I am to get such good letters from my darling.

 

            I am in excellent health, and having as good a time as a man could expect while away from the loved ones at home.

 

            In your letter of the 7^th of Sept., (which has been on the way only two months and ten days,) you speak of your cosy parlor, and that our four young lady friends were visiting you. How I would have liked to be with you. When we get home next month, we will have a gay time, won't we love?

            You will probably remember that you told me in it much about Hattie failing to get letters, having written three, and got no answer, etc. I read a page of it to West to-day, and it relieved him very much, as he has had no letter from Hattie since August. / He has written her so often, and got no letter, that he was almost in despair of ever receiving another. He is now satisfied it is not her fault he gets no letters and has written one to enclose in this, which you will deliver, of course. Get one of our girls to invite her to come and see you—that you have something of interest to tell her. When she comes, give her the letter when alone with her.

 

            I said to West that I would not have missed getting that letter at the proper time for five dollars. He said he would not have had it fail to come for fifty dollars.

 

            We have now over three-fourths of the Regiment re-enlisted, so the Field and Staff officers and all the line officers of such Companies as furnish three-fourths its number of Veterans can go to Ohio on furlough, without re-enlisting. When I get there, I will consult you about going in. I am quite sure there will be great inducements for me to go; but we will talk of that when I come.

 

            I am proud of my dear sweet wife and children. Emma's letter enclosed in yours of the 7^th was a very good one. By the way your / letter and hers, and the postage stamps you sent made it weigh more than half an ounce, so there was a Due 3 on it, which probably kept it from coming directly through. Some PM's will detain letters which are only part paid, or send them to the Dead Letter Office. So you see the importance of being sure there are stamps enough on your letters.

 

            I am sorry to hear of Capt. W Beale Whittlesey's death. He was a good friend of mine, and a very promising young man.

 

            Kitty Huntington's death will be a hard blow on the Captain. They almost idolized her.

 

            Well, as West is going to the Depot, and will take this letter,—just waiting for it—I must close. I enclose you an order which shows that we will certainly come home, as soon as Gen. Schofield gets our application for transfer. So you may look for us, sure. A special bearer of dispatches goes to Gen. Schofield with our report of re-enlistment on the first boat. I now think we will start about the 8^th or 10^th of January, and get home in ten days. / So we will get to see you soon, and stay with you a month, and perhaps several more, while we organize again.

 

            My regards to our friends, and my love to you, dearest. Kiss the dear children for me. I will get lots of nice hugs and kisses when I come home.

 

            Pardon this white paper. Lt. West won't wait. He says the train will soon be in.

                                                                       

Yours as ever

A. W. M^cCormick

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