Henry P. Elliott to Mary P. Elliott, 24 November 1862
Falmouth Va Nov the 24 862
My Dear wife I have the opertunity of wrighting once more to you my health is as good as can be expected my eyes air beter than they wer whan i last wrote we have had conciderable to do for the last to or three weaks so i have had not much time to wrigt and i have not had eney for a long time, about fore weaks and i think it a most to bad when all the rest get them about every knight i thought i would not wright again untill did get one but i could not wait eny longer so i have comenced i had a leter from Mary Jane about to weaks ago they wer all well and she was talking about going to Lisbon i wrote to her when when i was at whetland and now she wants to know whair aunt mary is so i am going to right away and then she will know whair you air
I have marched about one hundred miles i last wrote and air now encamped on the north side of the raphanock opserate the sity of fredric burg whair we expect to have a hard fight unless they surender i have ben on picket three days and nits and have just got relived whair we could talk with the rebils they wer peasable and i was not sorey for was right whair they could picked me at eny time. I think my self that thair will not be much fighting after this fall / but we cant tell much about what is agoing on not half so well as you can tell at home we air kept in darkness onley what we get from home and that is but a very litle that i get and i am thankful for that you do not now how glad i should be to see you and the boys and all the rest but then i cant at presant so i will say no more about it i recived a leter from Albina sence i comenced wrighting and you cant tell how glad i was and to hear that you was well and another from frank watermans wife and they well thair Albina says thair is not much news thair and that is about the way it is hear so i have not much to wright Elro is well and tuff and i gess he is a little homesick and thair is a good many that would like to get home for i should like to my self but i am not hom sick nor neither have i ben but god knoes it is a hard life and a man ernes his money. Let it be more or less, we have had a very hard storm it rained as hard as i ever see it for twenty fore ours and i was wet to my hide but i did not get cold in the scrape and i thought i was prety luckey i under stand that they air trying to come to a setlemant a rebil gineral and the maor of the sity caim over with a flag of truse after we had got our gones redy to shell the sity and burnside and longstreet have to washington / and i think it means somthing that is the minds of the most the soldears and i hope it is so. i do not think of much more war news to wright so i will to home maters now. i want to now if you have things comfertable with what money you have and if you can get hay handy for your cow and what you have don with your pig. i you should all about it i do not expect you to wright all that i should like to now but do the best you can you had beter get what you can before it gets to cold wether i expect that thair is snow thair about this time thankesgiven yousley brings snow I have had quite a rarity for my brekfast this morning the 27 i had some potatoes Albina rote that the reports was that James bagley was dead it is a mistake he is alive and well it is James beatell i would like to have you send me a pair of gloves wright a way you can role them up and poot a raper round and they will come safe it will cost 15 cents and you will half to pay that for i cant it is rather cold work to handle a gun bare handed this is the third day sence i comenced wrighting this so i must draw to a close give my love to all tell mister Martin folkes that i should like to see them much tell Albina that i will right to him right away i have wrote all as soon as i could and i expect the rest have don the saim /
I will say look out for your money for it is slipery stuff
kiss the boys for me see that they go to school for that is i can do for them and you must do the saim and may god bless you
I will close by saying good by
this is from most afectionate
friend
H P Elliott
10239
DATABASE CONTENT
(10239) | DL1569.005 | 132 | Letters | 1862-11-24 |
Tags: Ambrose Burnside, Animals, Artillery, Battle of Fredericksburg, Camp/Lodging, Clothing, Crops (Other), Defeat/Surrender, Family, Fighting, Guns, Home, Homecoming, Homesickness, James Longstreet, Marching, Money, News, Newspapers, Picket Duty, School/Education, Thanksgiving, Weather
People - Records: 2
- (3653) [writer] ~ Elliott, Henry P.
- (3657) [recipient] ~ Elliott, Mary P. ~ Bennett, Mary ~ Daily, Mary ~ Wells, Mary
Places - Records: 1
- (97) [origination] ~ Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia
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SOURCES
Henry P. Elliott to Mary P. Elliott, 24 November 1862, DL1569.005, Nau Collection