Office 2 M Dept V.R.C.

                                                                                                N. O. July 25^th, 1864

 

Dear Mother

                        Today I had the pleasure of receiving a nice long letter from you and now I take the oppurtune moment of answering it. date July 14^th Inclosed I found a small green-back to the amount of one dollar, for which I am very much in need at this time. we signed the payrolls for pay about a week ago and the Pay Master has not come yet. I am in hope he will come soon for more than one reason which I will not inform you at this time but shall thereafter. I see you are always expecting me to come home and that will be next December if my life and health is spared. You are thinking all the time that I belong to the 19^th Army Corps, now you are very badly mistaken. I have nothing at all to do with any Corps. except the Veteran Reserve Corps. and they are not supposed to do any fighting or hard marching only garrison duty and to take the place of able bodied men, while they are sent to the front: Well you see that I have been promoted to the rank of a Corpral, he wears two chevrons on his arm which I shall have the pleasure of showing you unless there is more added to them. The Capt Comdg. this Post has to use two crutches, I do not know whether I told you before or not, but he is the most gentlemanly of men I ever had occasion to have intercourse with. he has taken a very great liking to me and will do anything for me I ask of him. there is something he has done for me which I would like to tell you but I dont want to. he always wants to know how my health is and my wound and acts just like a Father towards me. so there fore I use him with all due respect. It has not turned out with me as I expected about taking charge of the Dept as the men that expected to go away have not gone have not gone as they expected. so I am still an under Clerk as I was when I entered. I know I could have done the business if he had left as I had studdied hard for it. and watched every movement. I suppose the veterans of my Regt. will be at home by this time and you will have a chance to see some of them. I am glad I am not a veteran. I have looked over the list of advertized letters for the one with the money in it but can get no trace of its whereabouts. it will be to bad to lose the money, and the letter to but we must expect to meet with loses in this world. it is just as you say it is a scarce article now-a-days. This war look as though it might last for some time yet. but I think this raid the rebs are making in the rear of Washington is an indication that the rebellion is on its last legs. dont you think so? it is just as you say it will be carried on as long as God sees fit. Yes about wearing blue clothes if I should come home on a furlough or discharge how quick I should take them off. I think if you had seen as much as I have you would be sick of it. I know that I am. when you see my picture you will see me as I am and not in a dumb style. I mean speechless. when we will see one another face to face and have the pleasure of seeing one another once more. You are very afraid about me getting into the rank but Mother if I am not smart enough to keep out of them, then my name is not Reuben Haworth Jr. I am glad to see that you can spare time to go visiting so far away as Concord. You are getting smart in your old age. I dont doubt about that Uncle Joseph is a military looking man I suppose he is all of that. I am also glad that Uncle got along so well with his case of issuing rations to the Rebel prisoners he was too smart for the Copperheads. You must not be alarmed about that vessel with Yellow fever on board, as it is too cold a climate for it. if it was down here and you was living here in this hot climate then there might be some cause for alarm. how is it that Lizzie and Freddie are working up to Mrs. Neals I should think there would be plenty of chance at home to help you it wouldnt do for a man to call me lazy I should tell him to square up accts. and I would leave if I couldnt sit down for a minute to rest I would see what he meant by it I wouldnt let Fred work up there. Those Farmers want a boy or a man to work for little or nothing. Quite an occurance took place a day or two ago. The Nebraska took off some over a thousand Rebel prisoners to be exchanged at Red River they were healthy, stout looking men, and all were provided with clothing and money and cheered the people of New Orleans, and got of that savage yell of theirs as though they were awful fighting men. several of the seceesh women talked with the Rebel Officers in the Deaf and Dumb language. several of the women cried. I dont call them ladies. They will do an awful sight for the rebs. but not a thing for a Union Soldier. about two weeks ago I had a couple of orders to carry up town and the clerk told me I could have a horse to ride. but I did not like the idea of it and thought I would ride in the horse cars, but they told me I should have a long distance to walk after I got off so I concluded to try horseback and I did first rate much better than I expected I even raced with a negro that was on horse back and I beat him out altogether. I see my paper is getting short so I must close. give my love to all and tell them I hope soon to see them, my health is very good now much better than it was awhile ago, and I hope this letter will find you all in the best of health and good feelings one toward another

 

                                                            I remain

                                                            Ever your affect, Son

                                                                        Reuben

 

I forgot to mention that I cannot find any garden seeds anywhere. The steamer that took off the rebel Prisoners brought back about the same number of Union soldiers most of whom were shoeless and hatless. they were very ragged looking some had been in confinment eighteen months they were a sorry sight just to look at the way we send of Rebels and the way they send ours, is it a cause worth fighting for. I dont think it is myself

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