Head Quarters 54^th Reg ovi 2ond Brigade

                                                                  2^nd Division Camp Opposit Vicksburg

                                                            Mis^s State of Louisiana Sunday Feby 1^st 1863

 

My Dear Wife

                        It is with the highest Respect & the Tenderest of feelings that I again Seat myself to write to You and to Let You know that although Thousands of miles Seperate us the thoughtful Care and tender feelings of A Companion & Parent have not forsaken me Neither the Roar of the Cannon, the hiss of Bullets..The wearysome March or the Lonely Swamp, can lesson those tender feelings But in Sunshine or Rain in Pleasure or Sorrow my Family is my Idol. My fancied mind has ben with you on your Journey east. I fancied I saw you Safely there & Joyafully Recd By your friends & all I am now waiting to hear from the Result of Your Journey..That is why I did not commence this leter this morning I heard we wer going to have A Mail and I waited But none from You I however Rec^d one from Brother Charles..A very kind and affectionate Leter..I had writen to him yesterday & Shall defer answering A while..I know you will write as soon as you Can Your Last Leter (which you closed on the Cars) Came uncomonly Quick only 7 Days. It hapend to hit A Connexion Just Right..I Rec^d them on Thursday last and answered them the Same day..—I was not well when I wrote and in a Poor moode for Writing. Nothing Serious ailed me but A very violent Cold togather with my Disease of the Stomach (which I fear will always trouble me) But I was kind of downhearted as you know I sometimes/am. One thing I am Lonesome. Lt. Cutter has ben detailed On the Staff or at head Quarters and I am alone. I did not know I Should miss him So much as I do he is a fine Young fellow. He Wrote me a line to day and Sent me 2 Pacages of Invelops which wer A very agreeable present for I did not know what I should do..We Cannot draw any Stationary hear now..My health is about as common althoug nothing to Bray of. althoug nothing Serious ailes me and I hope and Believe I shall yet be able to Return to my Beloved family. if not in health with a clear consience that I have discharge my duty as..A Soldier to my country.—and if ever I am permited to Reach my home I shall know how to appreciate A hapy One..I know how you will feel after You are gone A while You will think You would not Swap Your home for any of them..You will think you have good neighbours and Good Society and when once home again you Will enjoy home more than ever..Sometimes I get to thinking A good deal of home But it makes me discontented and unhapy. If I could Get out of the Service deacently I would do So for I think there are plenty of men in the army who have not the charge that I have who have no family to Care for No Pratter at home calling for Pa. no kind wife to Spend Sleepless nights on a Pillow Bedewed with many Tears. But there is no chance to Leave the army now Sherman has always ben Worse to the Sick than an Iron man Grant is hear now in Command and he is still worse. If either of them would Swap Places with the Devil Hell would get in Sympathy what it Looses in Knowledge./

 

We are Still In the Same Camp opposit to the Ditch A Map of which I sent you in my Last. I wish I had marked My Tent So you would know it But it is an Old Big tent Shot all full of holes Did You See such a one there We have no news hear now excep Grant is hear and has assumed Command and General M^cClernard has assumed Ben Ordered to Hurry I have more faith in him than either Sherman or Grant—Our Regiment has not done much at the ditch for 3 or 4 days We are doing Some Picket duty that is about all at Present There are no Signs of any Batle hear for Some time & I hope not at all—..Camp Rumor is that we are to have an armistice. but I see nothing to warrant A move of that kind. Do.you. I dont See A Paper Once in A Days age..It Rained Last night and all this fournoon But it has cleared off Warm and the Old haymaker is out hot anough to make A Darkey fan himself..My Darkey is cooking Baking Buiscuit Boilin Tongue and hart and fixing Supper for 2. We have One Boarder the old Chaplin. he Pays me $300 three dollars A week for his Board he is A clever harmless old Methodist Preacher How do you Supose we bake Buiscuit well I will tell you and I dare Say it will Remind You of Your childhood We have an old fashioned Bakitle with with a lid and we Put under Coles and Coles on top. I Baked 2 Pies the other day out of Some dried Currants that Mrs Hopkins gave me that was first Rate..Well my Dear how are you injoying your visit Tell me in your next where you wer Feby 1^st/

 

Well Cinda a few words more and I must Close as you view the Scenes of Your Childhood, and follow the Traces of those Parental hands whose Tender Care watched over you in your youth….Sadness will fill your heart and I appreciate and Respect Your Tender feelings. I only Regret one thing that fortune Prevented us from Soothing the Pillow of that dear old mother in her dying hours. But She is gone, and is among angels with, her Companion of many years, You have Lost A Dear mother. But you have a litle Pet to Cheer you in your Lonely hours..Now Cinda one Request from me. I know it is winter with you But I want you to See that there is a respectable..Tombstone at the Grave of Your Father & Mother if there is none Buy one and have a Suitable Inscription on them with arangemint to  have them Set in the Spring. it is the Last Respects you can Show them..I wish it was Spring that you might Plant a flower on their Grave..I have no Idea I shall ever See that Place again I have no desire to as I know of and I presume there are But few whom have any desire to see me But I want you to make your visit as agreeable as you can But for Gods sake do not go where you are not wanted Charleses folks Say they have not heard A word from you accept through me You ought to write and have Charles come after you while it is Sleighing. You must write to them in..Justice to them Give my Respects to dicks folks and all the Rest Tell them if they will Come and See me I shall be glad to See them or any of the Rest of our folks if I ever get out of the army and will do all in my Power to make their visit Pleasant But I shall Probily never Come there. if I should I have A Setlement with 2 or 3 individuals which I Prifer to Leave for the Devil to Setle with. I am not afraid to Come there But you Can guess the individuals that I do not want to See..But I will close Hopeing you may have A hapy and Pleasant visit and have good heath I Learn we Shall be Paid in 10 or 15 days I do not know how I shall send home my money But where there is A will there is A way. I will tell you all about it in time I have writen to Geo. Remember me to all of Marlins People and all our friends and Believe me your Sincere friend & Husband

 

            Take good care of my Pet and kiss him for Pa           Geo

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