Camp at Cedar Creek July 6^th 1862

 

            Your photograph arrived last night dear wife and was received with great pleasure. I had not received a letter for many days, and the photograph and letter were all the more welcome on that account. I have taken out my sister Sarah and placed the new photograph next the old one. I cannot say that I like it so well as the one I had before. It gives an idea of a much larger person than you are, and there is a strange look about it which does not look natural. When I first glanced at it as I took it from the letter I thought it was Mary Johnston it looked so large. I think the white dress helped to deceive me. A second glance however quickly undeceived me but it has not the old familiar look of the first one and so I place them side by side and keep both to look at. I cannot / say where the defect is in the new picture but it does not altogether please me and yet as I examine it now on the table before me I can find no fault with any feature or with the expression, for I have seen you look with the same earnest expression many times before. The fault must be in the idea which the picture gives me of a much larger person than you are. I am glad you have sent it to me for it gives me a more correct idea of your health than I could get from a letter. I am very glad that Nell & Charlie are staying with you and I hope they will remain until I return. Your news about Charlie is particularly interesting and I hope most sincerely that he may find now that true happiness which alone can be found by taking the course he now proposes follow. May God give him strength to persevere to the end. Tell him that I know from experience that he is now about / to take the only proper course, and that he will not under any circumstances regret it. I shall not fail to come home in August if I can get home, but you must remember that I am not now my own master, and lately the rule in regard to leave of absence has become very rigid. So many officers have gone home that the War Department issued an order compelling all absentees to report within fifteen days, and if too sick to perform duty, they were ordered in the west to Camp Chase for examination. Now in order to enable the commanders of the army in the field to grant leave of absence to an officer he must have the certificate of a Surgeon that his sickness is of such a nature that if he remains in camp he in the opinion of the Surgeon will either die or become permanently disabled. In no other case can the commander grant leave of absence, and all other cases must be referred to the / Secretary of War. You will thus see that there is some difficulty in getting leave of absence, but I hope to succeed as I will apply directly to Mr Stanton and I do not doubt that he will consent. I write you this now in order that you may understand, and appreciate the difficulty of doing merely as I please.

 

I have just received marching orders. We march at 6 AM tomorrow for Front Royal where we are directed to go into camp. You may therefore direct your next letter to that place though we may not remain there for any length of time. I judge however that there will be some rest there as we are ordered to drill twice a day, and this of course cannot be done on the march. It is now five o'clock and I must prepare the brigade to move in the morning so my letter must end. Love to Lindy, Nell, Charlie & the children, and loving Sunday kisses to darling wife. I have not yet heard from Eveline at Washington.

                                                                                                                       

N. C. M^cLean

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