H^d Qrs. Co. "K" Marine Regiment

Camp Near Vicksburg Miss

Oct. 6^th 1864

 

                        Dear Laura

                                    Yours of Sept. 23^rd came yesterday it found me tolerable well although I am considerably afflicted just at present with boils. I have not been on duty in three weeks on account of some slight affection of my left kidney the Dr. put a blister over the kidney about twice as large as a saucer. I did think at first it eased me but since the blister healed I am of the opinion the soreness is no better I am to attend the sick-call this morning and undergo an examination the Old Head Surgeon is to pass his opinion on the cause. Well I have been to the Old Dr. and am to report again tomorrow morning. I am of the opinion there will be nothing done as there is not much chance for a private getting much done in his favor. When I wrote you in regard to the scarcity of provisions there was a good deal of fault finding among the soldiers in and around Vicksburg but within the last two weeks we have had as much as we stood in immediate need of, so that now we are very well supplied you know there is always a few who are dissatisfied with everything no matter how favorable for themselves that is the class who are doing all the fault finding at present.

 

            Now in regard to our starving you need not worry for we have as much as we need and more than we ought to eat. Men lying around as we are doing nothing ought not to eat as much as men who are cutting cord-wood or running saw-mill and the way it is here those who do nothing are the ones who swear mos about their living /

 

            I am sorry Laura that you will make a slave of yourself when you might just as well take matters a little easier and save yourself by hiring once in a while a little done and you would never miss what it would cost you from the fact that you would be so much more able to attend to your household affairs; as it is you are continually worried out of health it makes you out of humor with yourself and cross to every one around you. Laura, there is this much I can tell you when I was at home and working hard overtaxing my strength I was cross and ugly and I know you are. and I just believe it is more of a sin to overtask one's strength than it is to take the world a little on the easy plan. If I live to get home and I think I shall it is my firm determination to live easier than I ever did before I joined the Army. If I can't then I will join the Army for life. For of this much I am certain I can get my board and clothes and a little money, and with the Home you have now and it paid for I know the monthly wages will board and clothe the Family even if I can't be with them all the time. I am afraid work will not be so plenty after the war as it is at present. Yet if I can get home in any reasonable length of time and my plans work I think in the future I can make easier times for both of us. The way I intend to do it is just to make it my business to work at home and make home working place. I think by adopting that plan to make matters work more aquiatle to all parties. I think it would be as well for you to see how much that other lot you have mentioned will cost. that is the least it can be possibly bought for. It might be possible that I could raise enough to buy it if it did not cost too much. If there is no improvements on it you might get it pretty reasonable at all events it will not cost much to find out the price. I suppose you know whose it is /

 

            I am very glad the children are getting along as well as they are. I was afraid when I got the letter telling how sick she that is Mary was that the next would contain the intelligence of her death. I was very uneasy I wanted a letter and did not want a letter and yet I was glad when it came but afraid to open it after I did open it however I was better satisfied and now I can look for letters without dread. I am sorry there is danger of your having another time with your breast I certainly hope you have succeeded in breaking it up for I hardly know how you would manage alone and have such a time as you did last winter.

 

            Now Laura let me tell you don't borrow any uneasiness in regard to the future of the M.M.R. the Officers some of them are so confident that we are going to be mustered out that they are betting by the one hundred dollars at a lick. the time set now for us to start north is between this time and the 20^th of this month according to the present reports we are to go to St. Louis on the Steamer Arthur, and are to start the last of this or first of next week. I don't want you to say a word about it to any one as I want to arrive on the sly if possible as I have an object in view. Keep an eye to the Express Office as I started 55. dollars to you on the third or fourth. I suppose it will be on hand in a short time. I would pay Asa and make the money go as far as it would towards making yourself and the children comfortable. If we go to St. Louis and wages are as high there as they ought to be considering the times I may possibly work a month or two in order to get a little more ahead be as guarded as possible in your letters for I don't want any thing to drop. I will send you a couple of likenesses one you know but the other is an old Iowa rat. as ever,

                                                                                                            David R. Burgess

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