In the Field near Warrenton Virginia

 

                                    Monday N^ov 10^th 1862

                                                                                                            Your letter of the 29^th is doing table-linen service over this one which I am writing for you. It is almost impossible to keep ones hands here clean enough to not soil white paper Have also had from home an envelope containing letters from both you & mother saying that nothing had been received from me in twelve days, & in your last you have had nothing within two weeks. It is rather strange why you do not hear from me. I write home at the very least once a week & usualy twice. The Government may have held back all mail-matter on account of the proposed movement against the enemy. I wrote in one letter for money. It will be useless for you to send any since we shall be paid this week & it may be dangerous. I should hate to have $10 sent from home/ for my own comfort & have one of Stuarts cavalry jayhawk the money. Even now it is rumored that our last mail fell into their hands. Yesterday, while on the march, our brigade being in the rear, we were drawn up in line of battle in regiments in rear of our artillery. We were behind the whole army & I can imagine no sufficient reason for such a movement in such a place, except that Stuart has again dashed around us.

 

You need have no fear of Marie She is not an awful woman, is rather a grape vine than an oak, & your superior only through age & cultivation. I would though like you to be with her as much as possible. She will, I am sure, make a good friend for you & through her you can more easily gain other good friends, especialy, among books if you do visit much with her. Tell me just what you think. & don’t/ be at all afraid of hurting my feelings because I am a friend. For all I know women may have a knack of understanding one another better than men. Write me about every one or thing that strike you & be careful too, else I may write some censure wounding your pride of attainments or do you think yourself too strong-minded to be hurt there. In selecting your reading allow neither your own fancy nor anothers foolish advice to lead you too high. Don’t try Bacon, or Shakespeare or Luedenborg or the Bible till you understand the Atlantic well. After you do, you may do as you please with any book. By the way I wish you to send me the November no^r of the Atlantic. I see by Clarks Herald of Progress that it offers much good reading. You appear to be much shocked by the news of Prof Smith death. I should be if I were at home but as it is care very little about or rather think very little/ Death is about as common as life here Can tell you better of such things after I get home I have heard of the “Life Clock” & am glad that it pleases father. Perhaps it suits his time of life better than others younger. The thing which pleases me most in your letter is concerning Jim. Ever since you first wrote me that he was going off I have been in trouble about it. Indeed the idea of his going off worried me so that I couldn’t write a word about Am glad that he has been blocked off by Matt. If he will only wait till I come back I will give him some good advice about being discontented with his way of life. Tell Jim to write me. You don’t say a word about grandfather or Roscoe I have a letter written in lead pencil to Georgie but so miserably that you must read it to him. Write longer & oftener

 

                                                                                                                                    Fred

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