Wednesday July 2^nd 1862

 

            I send you dear wife a memorandum in addition to my letter by Burnet of some little things which you may send by Capt Harris or any one that may come to the regiment. Burnet desires to go today and I have made arrangements to send him to Martinsburg to the railroad. It is very hard to let him go, but there is no possible chance for me to accompany him at present. I send by him a box of things which I do not need during the warm weather and they only fill up my trunk for nothing. The socks are in a bad condition, and have long needed your care. You will also find two packages of letters in the pockets of my coat which you must carefully preserve for me, as those from you I value very highly. I send them to avoid the necessity of burning / them up. Once before I was compelled to burn up a very large number of your letters because there was danger of their falling into the hands of the enemy. Our baggage is sometimes in danger of being cut off, and should this happen all my letters would be read by the enemy. Most of the officers burn their letters as soon as they receive them, but I keep them in my pocket until that will hold no more, and then they go to my trunk. We thought several times since our baggage was left behind that it was lost, and the most that I regretted was the loss of your letters and my bible & prayer book. You need not take any great trouble to send my things, as I can get along very well without them until I come home. Love to all

N. C. M^cLean /

 

Memorandum of wants.

1^st to go home [?]

 

Summer socks

Summer drawers

I believe this is all that I need.

The winter socks you can keep until my return—

SOURCES