St Louis Hospital April 13^th 1864

 

Dear Mother

                        It was just as I expected about my letters. This afternoon the head nurse of my ward brought around the letters. he handed me one and then another and then another until I got five. They came from the Regt. I shall commence to quote from the first which is Feb 25^th. I am very glad you had something to do about the fair. I would like to know what part you filled in it. about Col Fearing. he has come out here and has gone home again I think on account of some difficulty about office. I am glad you had a visit to Mrs Fearing I dont know as I ever saw her. I hope you had a nice one. Col Fearing is a nice man. he was always so to me and I could always seem to enter into conversation with him without any trouble. I never found any fault with him my Lieut has got his commission as Captain and my Acting Lieut as 1^st Lieut and Cobbs as 2^nd Lieut and I am settled down in the St Louis Hospital and do my own business. I am sorry for Mrs Jones she may never hear from him again but I hope she may eare long about Gennis Paul. I have known of men they would write one thing one time and the next time be a different story. of course he is surrounded with the temptations as I am but all men are not alike. I suppose I ought to read my Bible but somehow I do not take a fancy to doing it. but some times when I can not find anything else to read I take that. I expected to go with the expedition, so I gave the Chaplain that book you have so often mentioned, as I had so much to carry besides that. so as some one else could read it. I read it most through before when you sent me it is not worth your while to send such books out to me. because nobody will read them. about the stockings you nead not send them as I can get some some other time. I will let you know when I want them. Cobbs just came in time to start out with the expidition. I percive your letters are mostly for advice and not news, but to much spoils the whole. Lizzies letter of March 7^th has some news about Ferdenand Howard is somebody I have no reccollection of. it was a bad job for him. I have seen a great many with out arms or legs. I came very near being a one legged fellow. I expect if I get discharged I shall draw a pension. I cannot tell certain. It is all very fine to go to a concert and hear cannons fired off. but when they are fired at you with shot and shell in them that is the time, but never mind about that I will never probably see any more of that kind. Capt Burleigh is the same old nut as ever. I would like to put a pistol in range of his brain and blow a little sence into it. he never would do to be with the Army. If he was a young man or even in Louisiana, I did receive a letter with a glass ring in it. it just fit my little finger. they are not the kind for the army. they must be strong like everything else. It is getting dark so I will wait until the gas not candle is lit. Lizzie gives me quite a note on reenlisting that is all done long ago but at the time she wrote there was considerable being done in our Regt about it. but I was bound to wait and see (and I pretty well knew what you would have me do. so I did not reenlist. I had to laugh when she said she would take the keys and lock me in if I would enlist again. About being lame all my life, it wont be so, as I do not walk so now. Yes I will come home and if my presence will cheer you up I will stay at home. I will now quote from yours of the 10^th. of March I am glad to see that you received mine of the 21^st of Feb I think that was the longest letter I ever wrote in my life. A question I have never asked you. have you saved all the letters I wrote you. if yes you have got a pile

 

                                                                                    Thursday Morning April 14^th, 1864

After a good nights rest I resume my writing. you did not tell me that Mrs Trefethen gave me the apples. but must give her my thanks, and tell her they tasted first-rate. The Boots you sent me I found were better than I expected they did not crack up so bad as I thought they would. I will tell you an incident about Col Fearing when he came out here he brought several thousand pairs of these boots to speculate on. You never told me the price of mine but he sold them to the boys for $10.00 a pair. About the man for the Presidency I say let the best man win, and that is as the colored people say “Abe Leinkum” I saw in the paper that New Hampshire had gone Union by a large majority. three cheers for the union. I see you must want me to write to Miss Ilanious but I shant do so any more as I dont want to have anything to do with an old maid. I spoke about the Blue Jackets being around. and you spoke about the first getting the bounty, it was not the first that got the bounty it was the last. the first came out without it, and has done all the fighting. but now I am sure of the bounty as I have served over two years but if I had not served two years I would not be entitled to it. About the Invalid Corps there is one here and are quartered in the United States Barracks, of which I have spoken before. I would write to my Uncles but I do not know there directions. Yours of March 15^th. There you are again. Sorry that you let me go in the first place how often have I got to tell you that it has been the best lesson I ever got. If I had always staid at home when my time came to leave home I could not have done but now I seen what a person life is and that it trouble and vexation of mind. I have only had a foretaste of what is to come I am not sorry if you are. about the word Slavery. There are some niggers. I would and could see the always in Slavery and there are other I could see freed well, but I hate to see a nigger guard over a white man. I have had a chance to see what it is and how they are used. About Hahn Inaugural. I could not get within a quarter of a mile of it. there was such a crowd I went as close as I could but could not hear anything. about worrying what will be done with me. I let it come and go as it will. I feel just this as the boys sing it.

 

            “Lo let the wide world jog as it will”

            “I’ll be free and easy still”

 

I think I cannot see anything more to write about in your letter so I will close and write to Freddie a short note. It is raining to day. give my best respect to all

 

                                                from your affect Son

                                                            Reuben Haworth

 

(Let Fred read this himself)

 

                                                            St Louis U.S.A. Gen Hosp

                                                                        New Orleans Apr 14, 1864

Dear Brother,

                        I am very glad to see you improving so well in your writing if I dont look out you will beat me and Lizzie. I am also glad to see that you got the letter I wrote you. and hope it found you well. as I am at this time likely as not I shall be home Fourth of July if I am spared and then you and I and Johnnie will have a nice time with your little cannon. I see you doing as I used to you reccolect I sold stuff for nails may be I may come around an buy something sometime. lookout I dont catch you cheating. The boys down here are all flying kites They are all colors and kinds six cornered and round and red, white and blue. I see the paper is getting short so I will close.

 

            I remain          your ever affec Brother           Reuben

SOURCES