M^cDowell May 2^nd 1862

 

            Last night dear wife I was too tired and sleepy to write, so I postponed it until tonight particularly as no letter could start until tomorrow. We arrived here as I wrote you day before yesterday and found everything quiet with no appearance of an enemy in any direction. We have now here all of Gen^l Milroys brigade with two batteries of artillery, and several men on the road to arrive in a day or two. Gen^l Schenk is coming next week and we also expect Gen^l Fremont with Blenkers division. This will give us quite a large army with which we can march forward without difficulty. This is our third night here, and I am under orders to march tomorrow morning to camp Shenandoah, which the rebels evacuated a short time since. / We seem now to be on the move and do not get much breathing time at any one place. This we all like, but there is one thing which is objectionable and that is the sending companies from the different regiments on detached service, so that none of the regiments are ever entirely full. This morning two of my companies were ordered to take five days rations and proceed to the south branch of the Potomac and make the ford good for the passage of Schencks army. This leaves me with only eight companies, instead of a complete regiment, and I must march in the morning ten miles further to Camp Shenandoah, on the road to Staunton. Gen^l Milroy would march forward with his whole force were he not restrained by orders from Gen^l Fremont. He frets very much at this restraint and thinks the service is injured by the delay. /

You must write to me at this point until the headquarters advance & then I will tell you where to direct your letters. I received a letter from you last night, which was welcomed I assure as a great treasure. I know dear wife that you must have many trials that will trouble you during my absence, in which I cannot aid until too late. You must bear them as patiently as possible, and I will try to make all matters as easy as I possibly can. It has been impossible for me to remember all things in regard to bills & amounts which must be paid to different persons, and I must therefore give you instructions as the trouble meets you. In regard to Judge Leavitt, I wish you to pay him forty five dollars, and this will pay his interest for six months in advance. You can pay this out of any money which may be convenient. Money matters are always a trouble and / you must try and not let them worry you too much, as I hope & believe they will all go straight directly. In regard to the horses, I am sorry that Burnet did not wait for your letter, but if the horse is a good one, you will need him on the place. Linda must be disposed of in some way or other, as it is useless to feed her for nothing. Probably some one in the neighborhood would take her for a brood mare. I scarcely know what to say about Kate. She certainly is not useful enough to pay for her feed, excepting as a riding horse for Evy this summer. You I suppose will not be able to use her under the circumstances and you must decide whether it is best to keep her for Evy. I fear we will need to use all economy in order to make both ends meet, for I know that Burnet and Sat have no idea of any such thing in regard to home matters. If you find it necessary you must take them and seriously talk to and explain to them the means at your command, and they will then see / the necessity of economy. I see not how I can aid you excepting by writing to them upon this subject, which I will do next week, if I have the opportunity. I feel very deeply for you dear wife as I know you cannot at this particular time bear these troubles as well as at any other time. How much I wish that I could be with you to sustain and comfort you in all things. You have not lately written me anything concerning your own health, from which I infer that your cold has left you, and that you are only suffering from the trouble which cannot be avoided. Nor do I wish you to be free from that trouble dear wife as much as I love you, and desire to save you from all pain. I know the cause and love you more for it, and feel that eventually your own happiness will be much increased by it. Bear it then cheerfully dear wife, looking forward / always to the future. You have not yet told me when you expect to be sick. Do not forget to mention the time in your next letter. Your last letter was dated April 21^st, and you say that you will start for Glendale the first of next week, so that by this time I presume you are at home. With this idea I shall direct this letter to Cincinnati. I hope you will find all things in order, and that matters may so interest you about the place as to give you pleasure instead of trouble. I am very glad you take Lindy with you, as I know she will be a great comfort to you. Give my love to her and tell her she must be as gay as possible, and keep up your spirits, whenever you despond. Write me all about the pear trees and how all things have flourished during your absence.

 

You say my letters are unsatisfactory. How dear wife can I make them different. I have very little to tell in the / way of war news, for I rarely know one day in advance what I am going to do the next. We are in our enemies country and must therefore be cautious in our letters lest the mail carriers may be captured and the enemy thus obtain important information. I am therefore restricted in giving all that I hear the Gen^l say as to the particular manner in which he hopes to advance and can only say to you in general terms that this army will march forward as soon as Fremont permits. A short time will I have no doubt take us all out of this particular region, but in what direction we are to march I cannot tell for I do not know.

 

            The health of the regiment is generally pretty good. I am sorry to say that Col Constable is sick in bed, and unable to march with us in the morning. He rode over from Monterey to this place in an ambulance, and has been in bed / ever since. He has a fever which threatens to last for some time, or rather which did so threaten on yesterday, but today the Dr thinks he will soon get up. I shall leave our Dr Wilson with him, and hope he will be able to join us the last of next week. He is very comfortably quartered at the house about which I wrote you some time since, and will receive every attention. Mrs Hull is herself sick, but there is a young lady who attends to everything very nicely and the Colonel is made as comfortable almost as if he were at home.

 

            Elias Monfort is in fine health and I am glad to say has not disappointed me. He makes a fine officer, and will distinguish himself if ever he has the opportunity. Tell his father that the 1^st Lieutenant intends to resign and that I will immediately nominate Elias for promotion in his stead.

 

            Love to Lindy and all the children and loving good night kisses to darling wife

 

N. C. M^cL

SOURCES