Decatur Ala

                                                                                                            June 12^th 1864.

 

My own dear Fannie

                                    This is the sabbath day and quite wet and rainy. I am officer of the Guard to day and have nothing to do but occaisonally go around and see that my Guard do their duty and preserve order and quiet in the camp. my leasure time I am going to devote to letter writing, and the first of all will be a letter to my dear little Fannie

 

            I received a letter from you last evening dated May 27^th it was the first I had received for about three weeks so you can guess how glad I was to hear from you, though I can’t complain. you have been such a dear good girl to write letters to me since I have been in the army. generally I have received a letter every week when our communication was not cut off and when it was cut just as soon as it was restored your letters were always the first to be received bearing evidence of your unchanged love and devotion, and of your interest in / my welfare. I hope Fannie dear that I may live to repay you by a life of devotion and love for all the confidence you so freely repose in me.

 

            I am unable this time Fannie to send you my picture I have been down twice to get it taken but the Artist (who is a very poor one) was so busy on work he had promised that he could not take mine. perhaps I will have better success the next time. I suppose that it is a settled thing that we are to remain here at Decatur all summer, and I am not sorry I have marched just all I want to until next fall. it would be very hard work this warm weather. I believe that our marching and fighting is nearly over with. won’t it be a glorious day Fannie dear when this war is ended and peace once more resumes her sway. I believe that the day at last is dawning the successes of Grant and Sherman and the glorious action of the Baltimore Convention gives me more faith in our ability to conquer than a fresh Army of Five hundred thousand men. it shows that the heart of the people of the mighty north is in the right place, that the / idea of giving up this contest only with the complete restoration of the Union never for a moment entered their heads, that rather than retrace the steps already taken by the Government they will fight it out to the last man and the last dollar dont you think Fannie that such good news from the north should encourage the soldier? it does, it puts new life and courage in him, it gives his arm fresh vigor and strength to deal out good manful blows to the enemy of the country he loves so well. he knows that the eyes of the north and of the whole world are on him, that he holds their destinies in his hand, and he is bound to do or die. so glorious a thing was never known before when in a Convention of that size not one dissenting voice was heard, but such unity of sentiment prevailed that the voice of one was the voice of all, and “Old Abe” was renominated by acclamation. the people of the north are just coming to their senses and practiceing as well as preaching the doctrine of the old adage, “United we stand, divided we fall”. that has been the great trouble I believe heretofore, there has not been that unity of sentiment and interest at the north that there should have been /

 

the Administration did not know who were its friends and who its foes and while they were prepareing to punish traitors at the south they had to guard against worse traitors at the north so the wheels of Government were kept continually cloged.

 

            But I guess you think I have gassed about enough on that subject so I will let it drop. if we stay here all summer I should like to come home, but I suppose my chance will be very slim as long as my health continues as good as it is now. it is very difficult for an officer to get a leave of abcense unless he is quite sick. I believe I had rather have my health and stay than to be sick and go home. though Fannie dear you must not think from that that I am not anxious to see you, for I am. I think of you very often, and wonder where you are, what you are doing and what you are thinking about. evenings I frequently imagine you are seated in the front door, gazing perhaps on the same star that I am looking at, and thinking perhaps of one who love you dearer than life, as I am thinking of you, though thousands of miles seperate us. but Fannie dear I see that my sheet is nearley filled and I must close so with all the love and kisses you can accept I will bid you good by

 

                                                                        Your Affectionately

                                                                                                            Frank

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