Millikens Bend Louisiana

                                                                                                            April 8^th 1863

 

Dear Miriam

                        I received your kind letter this evening and hasten to answer it I am well and all right you talk of never seeing me again dont talk in that way as I have no doubt if your life is spared and sickness does not carry me a way that we will meet again as I doubt verry much about me ever being killed this is the second letter that I have received from you since I left home the date of this one is April 1^st why is it that I do not get more you certainly have written more than two to me since I left home havent you I want you to write to me verry often I intended that if we had stayed at Memphis that you should have come and stayed with me if you wanted too but we have got too far south for you to come as I would be afraid that the southern climate would not agree with you and that I might loose you too / and then life would be worthless to me all that I now care for is you and Ma I hope that you will both be spared until I return home you speak about being lonesome since the death of Eddy before his death I would not presume to advise you as I thought that he was company enough for any person and that it was agreat blessing to us to be the parents of such achild but since he has gone I would advise you to go around and visit your friends and do not grieve over his loss more than you can help all that keeps me up is yourself if it had been the thought of your being disgraced by me I would have given 1^st Leut Wm Harnard an offal good whipping this morning he does not like me and is insulting sometimes I was cleaning out my gun and he come along and says in ataunting tone that is agood idea. I say to him Bill Harnard you told athing that is absolutely false and I can prove it he wanted to know what it was I told him he said my gun was the dirtiest gun in the company he said it was so I told him that it was false and I / would prove it he said I could not I told him him that I hoped that him and me would live to get home he wanted to know why I told him that if we did him or me one would get agood thrashing he said he guessed not I told him he would see he was verry friendly then and took hold of my gun rod and helped me pull it out I will do it if I and him live to get home as sure as death Capt Harris is aman I like him he allways treats me well it is likely that Harnard will be Capt of the company in the course of twelve months if the war goes on as Capt Harris’s health is not good then I will go into Co G and get rid of ascoundrel we was out on review to day there was about six regiments out it is verry tiresome as we had to go out about two miles and carry our knapsacks Gen Grant and Gen Smith and another Gen were there four cannons were fired asalute to all of or Gen there were also two batteries out the weather is verry warm here now We do not / know where we will go from here we may go to Texas there is where I think we will go if we do not go to Vicksburg if we should happen to go farther north and nearer home you may come and stay with me send me some postage stamps when you answer this letter I will have my dougerrotype taken and send to you when we draw our money which will be in afew days I do not know what to do about sending my money home as I do not think it would be safe to send it in aletter tell me what you think about it in your answer to this tell Ma that I am in good health and to keep up her spirits as this war will certainly close this year and then I will if spared return home to roam no more Nothing more but remain your affectionate husband unto death   H. B. Drake M. E. Drake   Excuse this dirty letter

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