Office of Supt of Blacks

New Berne N. Carolina.

Thursday March 26^th 1863

 

My Very Dear Martha

                                    A mail was received yesterday bringing to me a very welcome letter from you and mother written 18^th inst. Very unexpectedly the mail leives this afternoon. we only have about two hours notice and dinner time at that.

 

I have just come from dinner and am snatching a few moments before there is much to do in the office just to let you know how I do.

 

I was much pleased to hear from you at Father's. Mother wrote that they were enjoying your visit very much.

 

I was glad to hear that you were not sick. I felt rather anxious to hear from you after leiving Marlboro. I / feared that when the excitements of your visits there should be over that you might be sick. I think you must be stronger than a few months ago.

 

If you can only be well how glad I shall be. You must have enjoyed meeting Eddie in town very much. I wish I could have seen you without being seen. I shouldn't have supposed that he would have known that old shawl.

 

I was very glad to hear that he was so good a boy. You know I cannot help feeling a little anxious about that. Although I haven't the slightest doubt but his training has been good. You say that he likes playing better than study. I am glad of it. Those little children of whom we read sometimes who will pour over a book all day long are not natural children. Let him run and laugh and play This is the time for it. Only for a little while each day, when convenient, make him give his whole attention to / whatever his lesson may be. Make him love it so far as you can by making it interesting for him. But still I dont believe as some do that you must make it so very interesting that they will not imagine that they are studying but only playing. That will give them false ideas of study. There is work in study and a child must find it out sometime. But enough of this.

 

The same mail which brought me your letter brought me a package of papers from (I suppose by a mark upon one of them) Mrs Ballard. I judge they are now in Worcester. I have not heard from Mr Goodale since I received the one he sent by you. I suppose he is very buisy now getting his schools started again.

 

I got the start of you a little in sending my picture before I got your request for it. I have been intending to send it for some time but was out of funds untill I received your letter a little while ago. I told Aunty how much Eddie thought of her picture It pleased her very much. /

 

I have been in Dr Stones schools (of which I think I wrote you) this morning and heard a class of little boys read and spell. Dr S— asked me if I couldn't come every day he would be glad to have me. I am going if Mr Means will let me as I think he will. I love to teach the little curly heads. There are some four or five hundred in the whole school. I do not know how many teachers. To be sure they would call it a noisy school at home, but for all that they are learning quite fast.

 

One of the Boston Grammar Teachers is in the 45^th. He has a class in the school. It only keeps about an hour and a half in the forenoon. Mr Means is still sick not able to be out. His brother sees to the business. I like the brother best.

 

There is nothing of interest going on here now that I know of. I see that there is an account of the attack here the other day in the New York papers which must be taken with some allowance. About our going home I have never written much about it because no one knew anything about it there have been all sorts of rumors about it but I have always stuck to the sixteenth of June and do yet. It is now the general opinion that we shall be at home on that day. Still there might be circumstances which would prevent—as for instance a threatened attack or the want of transports / [overwritten] or something else. but I think it is the intention of the government to get us home at about the right time so as to encourage us to re-enlist. I hope they will. As I want to write a few lines to fathers folks you must excuse me from writing more this time as I would be very glad to if I had time. Give my warmest regards to Addison & Mary and Your Fathers family. I am thinking of you now as at home.

 

With very much love to you and Eddie I am still Your

Affectionate Charles—

SOURCES