Fortress Monroe May 27/[?]

 

To my own Dear Wife

                                    I recieved your letter & bundle by Lt Pembroke was glad of the Cigars & Tobbacco but sorry you spent the money for them as you need the money more than I need the cigars. I have written you 2 letters by mail which I suppose you have not recieved. You can send me a letter by mail every day if you like & I shall get them, so write every day We are now well situated here do not send any more clothes or newspapers except the last date of the Journal as we have any quantity of papers sent us. I recieved a letter from my Father & one from Sylvia. Farther sent me a Box of his making with a shirt from sylvia a pair of stockings some apples & Lozenges they came very acceptable I have 8 shirts 5 pair drawers 4 pair stockings clothes enough to last me one year. I shall / bring home a load of clothes. Troops are arriving by thousands Today the Mass 4^th the New York 2^d the Vermont 1^st & one regiment from N.Y with a company of regulars went up James river today to prepare the way for an army. I suppose we shall be kept in the Fort untill we go home. The slaves around the country are running away as fast as they can today 40 came into the Fort. I think I never saw such a sight amongst them their was 27 children from 1 year to 12 years old & as happy as kittens their mothers were with them. during the time I have been here over 60 slaves have run away from their masters & got here safe we have a negro to wait upon us that swam across from the Hampton side for his liberty. We are living well & have all we can wish, except our Wife. dont be so Frightened about my staying any longer than the 3 months as we shall all leave leave when our time is out / my health never was better than since I have been here. If you can borrow money of any body I hope you will tell them I will send my note payable when I can get money from the government. I have heard nothing about any [?]. So make yourself just as comfortable as possible Tell Mr Appleton & Taggard & Knowles & Learned that they shall have their pay just as soon as I recieve it give my respect to all in the house also to Dr & Mrs Abbot also to Knowles for the present. You should have seen the NYork regiment of Zouaves that arrived saturday they are the hardest set of men I have seen the Virgineans call them the red devils & a very appropriate name they are camped about 2 miles from here this side of Hampton & have taken every thing they can lay their hands on. these Virgineans will find it is poor fun to have an army march through their State. You wrote that Ida had a cough take good care of the / little darling & tell her her Farther is thinking of her all the time.

 

I wish you would keep up better spirits It is no use for you to get so down hearted It only makes you feel & me feel bad & does not help matters a bit. You must take good care of yourself as I love you just as well here as ever. no matter if you are not taken notice of by my folks I does not plague me. I see that it does you. you have somebody to love & care for you as long as you have me. I should not care for them if I were you so keep up good courage & dont worry about me. Tell Mr Tower I wrote him 2 letters by mail. excuse me for not writing more. The Post master tells me that the mail runs regular, so write me every day if it is no more than 2 words. answer this as soon as you recieve this. tim & Tom are well. Tim got a letter from Lydia. the mail closes in a few minuets so send me a letter by every steamer that sails from Boston. & one every day by mail this from one that loves you as well as any one can. a True Husband         W. B Alexander

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