Camp 13^th N.H. Vol^s

Chaffins Farm V^a.

Jan 1^st 1865

 

Dear Ari

                        I received yours of the 26^th to day and was very glad to hear from you. it has been almost two weeks since I got a letter from you. it is quite a New-Years presant. I found one dollar and ten cents in it but the letter was worth more then the money. "yes" worth more then two months pay. you kinder think that I make fun of your letters do you. if you knew how anxiously I look for them you would not think so I dont believe. last night I was thinking that you must be sick or you would have written before, but such a nice long letter as I got this morning, after I read it I went down in the company and told the boys that I had got a New-years presant. well thay all wanted to know what it was, so / I told them it was a good long letter from Ari, and thay thought it was the best presant that a soldier could get. after I went out of their tent and out of hearing "as thay thought" one of them says Steve thinks everything of his wife, and another one says I guess he has got one of the best of women for a wife according to what Clough says. well says another he is a ________ _____ and ought to have a good woman. I thought that listeners was not apt to hear any good of themselves, so I left, but that is what the boys think of you.

 

Yes Ari I think this war will close some time if not before. tell the Little River folks not to be frightened because Abram has called for 300,000 more. that is nothing. I expect he will call for a great many more then that before his four years are up, but between you and me I dont think this war will last a great many years longer, but dont tell them / or dont you dare to tell a little white lie now days Ari. well never mind tell it to suit your-self and it will suit me. It would be nice would^nt it Ari for me to take the Eastern Railroad to N^o Hampton. it seems to me that we have got most down to Newburyport. I dont know about my getting a furlough, it will cost some-thing to go home now days and then again perhaps Gen. Buttler wont give me a furlough if I should ask for one but you must not look for me for I think it is very doubtful about my getting one if I should make an application so dont look for me untill next Sep^t. Oh Ari old Jeff Davis aint dead and I am so sorry but I have got one satisfaction of the old Rebell and that is he has got to die some time he and his Little Confederacy too. tell Hattie if she cant get to Portsmouth any other way to take two days rations of hard tack in her haversack and march there, thats the way. 

 

Well Ari news is not very plenty here now days. the weather is cold oh master cold. the ground froze last night quite hard. we were musterd yesterday for two months pay and I guess shall get payed about the midle of this month. thay owe me four months pay. I got a letter from Jerome the other day and answered it yesterday. he say that Mr Garland wears his cat skins yet. tell Joe if you see him to write me often. Tell Elmer that Papa would send him some-thing for a Christmas presant if he could get any thing but there is nothing here to send tell him if papa comes home on a furlough he will bring him some-thing then. 

 

I have got a splended little book that I would send to you if I only had some postage stamps. I think you would like to read it. the title of it is Out of darkness into light, but perhaps you have read it. I will try and see if I can get some stamps of the Sutler if I can I will send it to you.

 

Oh. Ari I aint going to find fault with you oh no but you did not tell me the date of those letters that you got from me. when I write to you put down the date in my memoranda. then if you tell me that you got one on that day or one that was wrote on that day I shall know that that letter was not lost. / I have wrote three letters to you since I got one from you, so I dont know which one is lost if either of them is. do you understand. Now dont say that I have not wrote three to you one for I have not got a letter from you since a weak ago last thursday untill this morning. but never mind Ari. write when it is convenient. Give my love to Elmer and lots of love to your-self. my love to all of my folks and my regards to all enquireing friends. Good night. I remain your most affectionate Husband in the Army of the James.

 

write often

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton

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