New Orleans, La

March 5th, 1865.        

                                    

My very dear Wife

            I am still in this city, but expect to leave to-morrow for Mobile Bay, to be mustered out of Service. Then I will come home as quickly as possible. Oh! dearest, I am so anxious to see my dear little family. I dream of you at night and think of you by day. The time passes so slowly now that I am on the way, but still detained.

 

            I met Lieut. West since I wrote you. He passed through the city a few days since, and when he found me, he almost took a "duck fit". He says all the Officers with the Regt are mustered out except Lt. Col. Stevens, Capt Morris and Lts. Fisher, West, Berry and Pugh.—Scott, Smithson, West and Smith are going to resign—leaving but eleven all told—except Dr. Wall. West is recommended for a Captaincy. He says he wants to / leave the service and marry Hattie—says it is all right with her. He heard I was going to start a book store in some city—and says if I do, he is very anxious to go in partnership with me. He wants to furnish money at once, if I go into business before he gets out of the service. What do you think of the book business? say in St. Louis, Burlington, Iowa, Memphis, New Orleans, Columbus, Marietta, or some other city? I am going to "ask my wife" hereafter, before going into business, as she has been alone so long and endured so much anxiety while I have been in the U.S. Service. I think you are entitled to have "a good deal to say about it", as the clown says. I may go into the newspaper business, in some city, but don't feel much inclined just now. If I were doing some such business as keeping a book store, I could study law, and after I got admitted to the bar, the boys could attend the store. We'll talk of these things, however, when I get home.

 

            The news since our arrival here has been / so good, I feel confident the war will soon be over. Charleston, Columbia, Wilmington and other places falling all at once, I think must have a good effect. How I would rejoice to see the glorious old Stars and Stripes again float over every foot of soil in the boundaries of the United States. By the way, the people of Texas, and all parts of the South, so far as I can learn, are about ready for peace on our terms. They despair of separation, and are willing to take the Union, and even abolish slavery, for the sake of peace.

 

            When a prisoner in 1862 you know I passed through all the states in the South east of the Mississippi in which I had not already served as an army officer. I started out last spring to visit Louisiana and Texas—the only Southern states I had not been in. I have now "been there"—have "seen the elephant", and am willing to come home to my darlings. I have served in all the states of the South / and find "the state of matrimony", in the north more pleasant than any of them. So I can safely send word to Lynn that Pa will soon "come home to stay".

 

            What will Frank and Lee say to Pa's going into business in which they can help him. Would they take a clerkship in a store with him? I wish them to go to school for several years regularly, but they could help a little of evenings when I would wish to be at leisure.

 

            Emma will have a good chance, I hope, to complete her education, and at the same time assist ma in keeping things very neat about home. I trust we can live very comfortably and with good economy make more than I do in the army every year.

 

            Give my love to Father and Mother and to all my brothers and sisters. I will see them soon.

 

            Lt. West says he has heard from you often. He says he enclosed many letters from you to me, but I never got one of them. He says he believes his sister still gets letters from you regularly, and that she thinks nobody living is equal to Mrs. Mac. I guess the girls all like you, who know you. Why shouldn't they? I do. Kiss all the dear children for me. I've more than a thousand kisses for you and them, to say nothing of a few for other nice folks at home.

                                                           

As ever, dearest, yours            AW M^cCormick.

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