Savannah, Ga. Jan 3^rd/65.

 

My Darling Etta,

                        I promised in my first letter after arriving at a point of communication, that my letters should not be wanting to promote your happiness, and make your visit pleasant, and agreable. I have tried to fulfill my promise but in a measure failed. But it was not through thoughtlessness or for want of true affection, for I have eagerly embraced evry opportunity, have commenced letters and had to burn them, because I could not finish them. I wish they would take our horses from us again for then I should have some time to write. We are the only mounted men in our Corp and have to do a great deal of scouting. And while in camp we live in the open air and although the weather is not to say cold, the damp wind comming from the sea makes it very disagreable, especially for writing. But I shall soon have me a house built and then I can write whenever I have time. The regt is out on a three days trip and I am writing now at Hd Qrs. I wrote to you on Christmass eve with a lead pencil, but I doubt weather you can read it or not. I told you then that we had orders to prepare for a new and active campaign. But I do not think it will commence in less than a month yet, for we have neither clothing nor rations, and since then we have rec^d orders indicating that we (our Div) is going to garrison this place. That is good news to some, but I believe I should like to take a trip to Charleston S.C. I think the war is nearly at an end and a trip through / S.C. ending with the siege and fall of Charleston will I think be the finising stroke at the rebelion, and I would like to help give vile secesh the last kick. I was present and helped gain the first great victory and I would like to in at the winding up. And besides I think the boys will have a good time marching through the state. S.C. deserves severe punishment and she will get it when Sherman and his host treads her soil, he will leave behind him nothing but ashes and smoke. he will devastate the country where ever he goes, and if the city of Charleston falls in his hands (which it inevitably will) I doubt wheather he leaves one stone upon another, he will soon put an end to all trouble in that state. You may think this is a rough mode of fighting, but it is necessary to shorten the war and save human life. The state of Ga feels the weight of his heavy blow at its very heart, and regrets deeply the step it took in going out of the Union. citizens in this town, some of them the wealthy planters who fled from their homes in Central Ga before our advancing colums and sought protection in this citty, whose homes have been destroyed, nigroes set free, crops burned, and they reduced almost to beggary, have met and passed resolutions to do all in their power to get the state back in the Union, acknowledging that they did wrong, and that this is the best goverment on earth &c. They are almost willing to crawl on their knees and beg to be taken back. They treat the soldier with deference and respect altogether new to us, we hardly know how to return / it. if we stay here I am sure we shall pass the time very pleasantly. Dear Etta the future never looked brighter to me than now. I think I can see the dark clouds of war breaking away and a bright and glorious future dawning upon us.

 

The efforts to check the mighty waters of freedom in our land have been more untiring than any in the worlds history, but thank God their concentrated strength is now nearly exausted, and the deep, clear, broad and beautiful river of liberty will soon flow unchecked, bearing upon its bosom joy and gladness to hundreds of millions who shall come after us. Secession is standing on its last foothold, and will soon fall beneith the glorious banner of freedom. They have held out most desperately, have sacrificed almost the last man and the last dollar, and what has been their net proffits Misery, bloodshed, ruin. As a last and dying necessity the smiling youth of fourteen has been turn from all the heart endearments of home and together with the silver locks of age been hurried away to the cruel battle-field to sustain a hopelessly sinking cause. Their recourses are exhausted and they are fast sinking into inevitable ruin (They say) But time will teach them differently. Their eyes will be opened and they will find themselves in a better condition morally than ever before. This war although it has desolated their homes and clothed their land in mourning, will eventually prove a blessing to the South as well as the north, in ridding them of that abominable curse, human slavery, / which has thretened to plunge us into disgrace and ruin, and like Mexico the finger of scorn from other nations would be pointed at us. But thank God it was not so to be, and through his mercy freedoms channels will soon be free from all obstruction in this favored land. The oppressed and down trodden, of our own and all lands, may well take courage, and clap their hands for joy at the thought that God controlls all things after the counsels of his own pleasure. Who can fail to recognize the all powerful hand of God in this rebellion. did he not make the south herself instrumental in tearing down and abolishing from our land what they considered their divine institution? The first gun fired upon Sumter was the death knell of slavery in the United States, and now it is crushed forever. The sacrifice has indeed been great, but not greater than the cause demanded, and we have met it nobly. A people though affectionate and kind, as fond of domestic life as any upon the face of the globe, has yealded to their countries service, their hearts Idols, and bid defiance to danger and death and berevement, with a tearless eye, to maintain the principals of right, justice, and universal liberty, may well cherish a feeling of pride in that they have proven to the world that a goverment founded on the principles of human equality can stand and preserve its honor, even through greater perils than ever threatened any nation. We have felt a just pride as the decendants of our noble forefathers in looking upon their noble work in giving the / purest laws and establishing the best goverment on the face of the earth. How much greater reason for pride have we still in reflecting that we have been true to the confidence reposed in us, and have preserved the legacy bequeathed to us, though it has clothed the land in mourning, and baptised the nation in blood. I hope soon to see our whole country free and delivered from the last vestige of human oppression. Such a country we owe to ourselves, to our forefathers, to our posterity, and to the world. The crisis has come when the example we set will be as a beacon light to the oppressed and down trodden of the earth. Oppression and tyrany throughout the world I trust will in a little while learn of the complete success of freedom in our beloved America and which will sound as the knel of death to their cruel power. God grant that that time may speedily come that we may realize to the full extent the bright hopes we have for the future. I hope soon to return and enjoy with you my dearest Etta the peace we have so dearly bought. What a blessed day when peace and happiness shall bless our nation, when the prayers of our dear ones shall be answered, and their lingering and anxious hope, that we be permitted to return again to their fond embrace, realized. When thousands of homes shall be made happy, and thousands of stout hearts that have never faltered on the battle field shall beat with emotions of joy beneith the heads of the objects of their truest affection, what Soldier will then regret that he enlisted in the service of his country. 

 

Dear Etta I have written more than I intended to and my sheet is so dirty besides a great blotch of ink on one side. I am almost ashamed to send it, but paper is too scarce to write it over again, so you will have to look over it. I rec^d a letter from John the other day, the first part was prety spicy, but it wound up very pleasantly. He says there seems to be quite a lively correspondence carried on between some one down South and Etta, and he suspicions me, wants me to write and tell him all about it. isent he curious to know? His letter was dated Dec 5^th he said the folks had gone to White Hall. I have not seen your Cousin Frank Statts since we have been at Savannah he was well when I saw him last. I am glad to hear that you rec^d the Ladies Repository. you knew my hand writing did you, is it not an excellent magazine. I have taken it for the last year and sent you all but the last two numbers, which I had in my saddle bags and my horse ran off of the bridge in the river with me and wet evrything I had, completely spoiled the magazines. You would have laughed had you seen me swiming for one shore and my horse for the other puffing like an old steamboat. I laughed myself when I got out, although I shivered so I could hardly stand.

Dear Etta I must now bid you farewell once more. Take courage Dearest and hope that your prayer for my safe and speedy return may will be answered, and that you will soon see me and hear from my lips my declaration of love. May God protect you, is the prayer of your Henry. /

 

P.S.

            Dear Etta I promised to send you the diary I kept on the march and will do so as soon as I can coppy it. it will not be as interesting as I anticipated for I had to write nearly all of it by the light of the camp fire, but it will give an acount of our march the state of weather, discription of country &c which will be of use to me hereafter, if it does not interest you. Good Buy Dear Etta. Hope for

The Best, for

                                   

Though clouds may dim the splendors of our day,

     And sorrow deluge our tried hearts like rain,

We know the clouds move on, and by and by,

      The sunshine will make bright our path again.

                                                                                               

Henry.

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