Head Quarters 54 Reg ovi 1^st Brigade

                                                                            5^th Division army of the Tenn

                                                                            Memphis Tenn            Nov 5^th 1862

 

My Dear Wife again I seat myself to write to you and inform you how I am geting along which is about the same as usual My Cold has ben Bad and makes me look Rather white livered But it is beter and I hope soon to be all Right again I was officer of the guard yesterday and this morning have not ben Relieved as all but the Guard and Prisoners are ordered to the fairground for General Review and inspection So that I shall have to be on duty till noon or after I am all the officer in Co E that does a thing Capt R has taken up his Bed and Board at his Boarding house and I am left alone in the quarters Our Big Mess has dwindled down to 3 and I dont care if it gets smaller We hear cheering news this morning that makes evry soldiers hart leap for Joy if true the Report is hear that Lord Parmater is on his way hear to demand an armastice and England and France demands it Rusia to come in as Mediator and settle the thing and if that is true there will Be no more fighting and the war will Soon be all up God Grant it may be true I wrote you the Sky was Brighter I am a prety good Prophet I assert if there is an armstice it will Be in 15 or 20 day then we will have a chance to go home So many officers and so many men to turn from each regiment then it will be some fun Soldiering But we cant tell yet But evry thing indicates some great move the abbolitionists are Plaid out and done for ever Their heads are sore I am anxious to hear from the election of Ny and other states We get no mail to day and Shall soon hear I hope to hear from you again Soon Write often/

 

My Commition has not yet come I dont see what is the Reason The adjutant told me last nigh he heard from good authority I had Ben Promoted So you see they cant fool the Old Man much yet if I do Say it I have more influance than any other man in this Regiment There was a fellow trying to Be Sutter(sic) and Root out the one we had and a good many of our Best officers was in for it and they owed him some of them 2 hundred dollars I went to work and Secured his position he says now he knows who his friends are Some of them went to him and wanted money he told them to go and get it of their friends he lent me 5 dollars and would have lent me more if I had asked it Well I supose you all get along about as common at home—Well I am off from guard and am seated By a good fire the wind is Blowing Hickrynut falling leaves flying and dust is terrible and commences geting Cold The People say it is going to be cold hear and I think it is going to Rain But let it Rip we have very comfortable quarters if we can only stay hear But you cant tell a thing you will hear all kinds of stores and while writing one letter things will change any ones Ideas—Since writing this fournoon I saw Colonel Tardin he is feeling terribly he thinks our papers have not ben sent at all and he says he shall Resign But I cant see as it will do him any good—I wish I had had you visit east and let the thing go as it might if I had come home I could come after you and now if you want to go you can But still it seems they must do something before long But it is geting dark and I must close till candle light

 

Well Cinda it is evening and hear I am a good fire and as pleasant as a home Parlor except What is lacky Hear comes a little spider is that good luck/

O how happy I would be this evening if I could only have you and Pet with me Some times I wish I did not care any more about my home than some folks do But I do I Respect and love my family and am not happy unless I know they are happy Well I expect to Sleep extra to day when I was down town the other day Dr hopkins gave me a Single Bed tick and to day I had it filled with leaves and it makes a fine Bed—Well what can I say to you Shall I tell you Some of my chances to make money there is days if I would Sacrifice my honor that I could make 100 One hundred dollers to let things go through the lines and hear the other day a lady came to me or I saw her in a Store Some time ago where we buy our groceries they had told her I was all sound on the goos(sic) & she wanted me to let her go through the lines and cary Some things and she would give me half I told her no Madam I have gone into the army out of Pure love for my country and any thing I can do and not complicate my honor I will do but will not stoop to any mean act for Millions am I not Right—others have tried to get me to go into the cotton Speculation But if I should stoop to a thing of that kind I might make money But what is that to honor would you not Sooner that I come home Poor and Peniless with honor than Money and Treachery and Shame How much have we heard about Southern gold Buying Our Northern Dofaces(sic) and the man that Stoops to them acts will neither Be Respectid at home or hear and So I let all of these things Slip—But if I was out of the army I could make money hear in different ways But I think if I was out we could live well anough at home what do you think But Still if there is to Be an armstice then the army will Stay Right where it is and there will be nothing done in the army and that may not be so you cant tell any thing hear We hear So much/

 

Well Cinda what do you think you Shall do if you dont hear from me before long if it wasent so cold and Stormy I would tell you to go to LeRoy for I want you to go and if I was at home I would not go there and if I should come home I could meet you at Springhill But I am afraid Sleeping in cold Rooms you and Pet would get sick and then how would I feel That is all my fear But Some time I think they do not intend to discharge us at all But let them Rip I will not worry I know you will do the best you can Is charles going to School yet I tell you I should hate to be a private Soldier these times they have got a great fire outdoors and are hollowing Swearing and Raising the divel in different Shapes and the Poor Darkies are hovering around and I guess a good many of them will wish they was home with massa befor Spring

 

Well it is most Bedtime and I must close I hear a Boat comeing and I hope it will Bring me a letter now Cinda I will tell you what is a fact if I wanted to go to LeRoy and thought I I could go and be comfortable and not get sick or have Bub I would go and Shut the house up and leave the key with some one so that if I should come home I could get it and I would Pack that Big trunk and Strap on that little Role and a Red Blanket and go Supose I do come home what is the odds all I care is for your health if you havent Money anough Borrow of Poe and if I should come home I will meet you at Springhill or if we think best we can you can come home alone and then I no it would be a hard Journey cold and disagreeable and I dont know what to Say so I will Bid you good night and let you do as you please your Judgement is beter than mine I no it is But tell me what you do write often ask Pet if he wants to See Pas Darky

 

[front margin:             I should like to sleep in our little Bedroom to night I will bet it is cold there well good night to all and Pleasant dreams—Kiss—

SOURCES