Huttonsville March 5^th 1862

 

            No letter from you darling wife by the mail to bring me the welcome news that you were no longer sick. Never was a mail waited for more anxiously, or received with greater disappointment. I received but one single letter from John dated Feb 17^th. I could scarcely credit my messenger when he returned without a letter. Your last letter had been forwarded to this point, and I cannot imagine why those which I feel certain you must have written have not been forwarded also. The mails here I know are not only very irregular but also badly distributed at this distributing office. Once I opened the mail myself and found a good many letters directed to other regiments in our mail, placed there by the carelessness of post office clerks. I console myself in this way for my / disappointment and try to drive away the thought that perhaps sickness may have prevented you from writing. The latter however cannot be the reason for some of the family would certainly write if you were too ill to do so. In truth dear wife I feel very anxious and very much depressed at not hearing from you as I expected. No mail is due now until Thursday, and I must wait with such patience as I can muster, until that time. I expect that we will remain here for some two or three weeks before an onward movement will be attempted, and this will permit the regiment to pass through the mumps and almost through the measles. This latter disease is spreading rapidly through the men. We have now between sixty and seventy men down with it, but the doctors say all those that are here under their own care are doing well. Those / left at the hospitals on the road we have not heard from, but suppose they are improving for that very reason, as fatal cases are immediately reported to their captains.

 

            I see Gen^l Milroy almost every day at his quarters, and find him very clean and companionable. He does not like being weather bound, and is waiting very impatiently for better roads in order to enable him to move forward with his troops. The first point to be attacked will be the rebel camp on the top of the mountains, some thirty or forty miles distance. He believes the rebels in this region are a set of cowards and can be easily overcome. I saw this morning a soldier who had made one of a party of about thirty men who had attacked and routed about double their own number of rebels killing about five, taking one captain / two lieutenants and a number of the privates prisoners together with about fifty horses. None of our men were wounded. Such little affairs as this are very apt to encourage one side as much as it frightens the other. This kind of warfare however rarely attains results such as we hope to reach by this war. We must crush out rebellion at all points by sweeping it from the land as we advance. How heartily I wish all our forces could have the opportunity of showing their courage by a united movement. Our turn will come even here in the mountains, and I should not be atall surprised if we were marched on to Staunton and thence to Richmond. No more for us however for the present. Weather roads and want of forage forbid. We are bound hand & foot for the present. The mail does not go until tomorrow & I will write you again before that time. Love to the children & all the family with loving words & warm kisses from your loving husband to dear little wife                      

N. C. M^cLean

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