Memphis Tenn

Sunday April 30^th/65

 

Dear Father

                        Yours of the 23^rd came duly to hand and with pleasure contence noticed. It is now Sunday afternoon and for the second time I have attended church in Memphis Tenn; And now on my return to my boarding house I went to the Post office and found two letters one from Edward R. and the other from you; You will see the City is under Military laws and Sunday is not regarded as at home and therefore the office is open today as well as on a week day. And in fact Military Business and Official Business of or pertaining to that kind or character is transacted as well on the Sabbath as any one day in the week. You wished to know the character / of the People here well they are a good many wealthy inhabitants but seem to be ignorant; Become wealthy by inheritance as I see nothing else that they could make it out of; Memphis is a City of about 30,000 thirty-thousand inhabitants situated on the east bank of the Miss River eight hundred miles south of Cincinnati Ohio and two hundred south of Cairo and at Cairo the Ohio River enters into the Miss; St. Louis is up from Cairo four hundred miles on the Miss River, making Memphis six hundred from St. Louis south of east; I am very well contented here and probably will stay for the present my health is tip top and weigh one hundred and forty five and courage as good as ever. I am a getting one hundred dollars a month; I pay for my board and washing forty dollars a month. the tea bell rings I will go.

 

            After Tea

So you will see it leaves me sixty dollars a month which I will lay up I will send you one hundred dollars about the first of June and will do so as often as I get that much ahead. Your letter I must confess put me back some; I feel as though I had been hurt by the stories which she has set afloat and I had but one story to tell and you heard that and if my friends will believe others why they can; I married that woman in good faith and God knows I have been a slave to her and true to the marrage vows yes to the verry letter and I call him to witness who knows all; Believe who you may I will swear I know nothing of the Graves Girl; good bad or indiferent of her where abouts or any thing of the kind /

 

One thing certain my courage is good and if my friends will hear to contemptable lies why they can I stand on my own foundation and have done nothing in the sight of God to be ashamed off or have I disgraced the name which I own; I am inocent of all such charges and I will leave it to your own good judgment wheather I will live with her or not One thing Father I pride myself in neaver to disgrace the name;

 

            You will hear from me often and I wish to hear from you when convieneant

 

So you may not keep awake in relation to the Graves Girl for once married has cured me for life. Give my love to Mother and Edward R. and to all You seem prudent. If you wish to know what my character is here I can give you reference             Yours Truly

                                                                                                                        H. M— /

 

Extra

one man just Shot an other up at the Worsham Hotel. Verry comon for people to Shoot in this country

They are a carrying him by on a streatcher now the streets are crowded.

                                                                                                            HM

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