Evansville Feb 19^th 1862

 

            I am still at this point dear wife having found it impossible to move with the regiment today. Every possible exertion has been made to get our baggage forward to this point and even now at five oclock in the afternoon all of the wagons are not yet here. I have been compelled to entirely reorganize the baggage train on account of the horrible state of the roads and the miserable team furnished me by the Quartermasters at Parkersburg & Grafton. They gave me the best they had, but they were in a great measure useless. The horses had never been driven together, and when our teamster attempted to drive them, many of the horses refused to pull even the empty wagons. This has caused the delay, and it has only been by the greatest possible exertion / that I have been enabled to get this far. I have caused more than double the number of wagons to be hired, so that each company will now have two wagons instead of one, and I have now in this way made complete preparations for an early march tomorrow. The roads from this point to Beverly are said to be worse than those we have passed over, and they were horrible. We are called to supper.

 

I have not yet told you what sort of quarters I occupy in this old town. The Chaplain went forward in advance of the regiment on Monday and secured quarters for Col Constable Major Reily, himself, and myself at a very comfortable farm house owned & occupied by a Mr Tut. He has a very nice wife, a middle aged lady and some four or five daughters. We have very comfortable rooms, and are entertained with the greatest kindness. Mr Tut is a strong Union man, and / has refused to take any compensation from us. He tells the Chaplain who was sent to him by me to get our bill that he should be ashamed to charge us anything. We are thankful for this kindness shown us, although I expected to pay for my quarters. The people here are very kind to us and have invited both officers and men to their houses to partake of their hospitality. The town is a miserable place. On the main street there is scarcely a house that does not exhibit marks of decay. A large number are without inhabitants & many more unsafe to live in. Altogether the place looks like a deserted village from which the inhabitants had departed about fifty years ago. We are all doing well both officers and men & if we can only do as well for the balance of our march I shall be thankful /

And now dear wife let me thank you again and again for the havelock and the photographs. They arrived yesterday whilst I was at Newburg after I had written you my letter of yesterday from that place. The havelock is beautiful and you may rest assured that I will wear no other than the one made at least partly by my darling wife The great treasure however to me is the little case of photographs. I think they are all good. Yours I like very much. Johny's is perhaps better than any of the others. it was a delightful present and nothing could have pleased me more I want you however to improve upon this by sending me a larger case which will hold in addition photographs of Pa, Burnet & myself. I will then arrange them with those which you have already sent. Oh how it brought home back to me again with all its happiness. You look well darling wife, that comforted me not a little I assure you. Tell /

 

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aunt Kate I received her letter with her photograph which we all thought her fine. Give my love to her and tell her I was delighted with both her photograph and her letter and that I will write from Beverly if possible. You must not expect to hear from me again until we reach Beverly as there are mails between here & there by the route we march. It is growing so dark that I cannot see to write so good bye, Love to the children & all the family & a thousand kisses to darling little wife from her loving husband

                                                                                   

N. C. M^cLean

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