N. Stonington Oct 16^th 1864

My own Court—

                        I attended the Lyceum last night and while there received a letter from you. I was as usual happy to hear from you, glad that you are still out of the regiment and if I were you I would stay out a long time, and I must state here what that mean “copperhead” Amos Allen says about you. Frank was home last week and he was speaking of you to him and telling him that you wrote you was sorry you could not have been well enough to be with the regiment in their last fight, and he said he/did not believe it, that you would play off any time to get rid of fighting, and that the regiment never had been in any battle except one small skirmish. Now what do you think of that? He is one of your McClellen men. He thinks because he is such a detestable coward himself that every one else is the same. Such ones as he voted the tax to hire substitutes. Mother paid her [?] tax the other day which was $10.29, and my own mother’s tax was $10.80, and that to save such infernal “copperheads” and cowards from going to the war. Anyone who would vote for such a man as Amos Allen would vote for can’t be much. They had a McClellen “mass meeting” to Norwich week before last and of all the drunken “totes”/

I expect that was the meanest. They had the rum there in pails. I don’t pretend to know anything about politics, but it does seem to me that the side that all good Christian men, and respectable citizens favor ought to be the best, and I never heard of a decent man who would vote on a copperhead ticket. But enough of this when you write I wish you would be so kind as to send me a list of all the battles and skirmishes in which the 21^st C.V. has been engaged, for Amos Allen’s especial benefit.

Mother says she should like to have seen the pies you made. Who was it gave you the Reb. sword belt?

It is a little rainey to-day. I have not been to church. They were going to have a “sing” here this/evening but I don’t know as they will have it now. I wish my Darling Court was here. I want to see you very much. I wish you could come home on a furlough this fall. Perhaps you can this winter. I have got lots to say to you if you were only here. Susan Stanton is no better, they are afraid she will not live. Mary & Rub are better. I have no news to write this time Darling. I have not forgotten you. I love you as well as ever. I’ll bet I do. Oh if you were here I would show you how well I love you. I hope I can see you before long. I think it would do me good. My pen is awful and the ink is worse, so you must excuse scribling. Mother sends love and so does       “Mamie”