Fort Marshall Balto

Feby 17^th 1864

 

Dear Maggie,

                        Your dear letter of Tuesday night has just come. Oh! how I thanked our Heavenly Father for the life of our child. You suffer agony all the time. I, the day your letter comes, for after reading the one of today, full of hope, I fear the next. Yet I can but feel, that Maggie will get well. Oh! do let us hope on, pray earnestly & trust all to God. I also got one of Fathers best of letters. How much comfort he gives me. We have examples of great affliction, and of wonderful resignation & Christian fortitude in bearing the heavy cross.— 

 

It is possible for me get leave to go home, but unless it is indispensable, prefer not to ask for it. I could be gone but a few days, and then to leave our sick child would be very hard to do. I have been with you so often, that the commanding Officers might refuse me application, and then I of course would be angry, and might get me into trouble. However, if it should be our sad reality, to have to give up hope for our angels life here, I wish you to inform me, and I shall spend the last hours of our darlings life with her. But if she is spared, as you have hope, then I had better take my leave some other time, either in going on for you 1^st of April or taking you back. If I had no good wife, or the best / & kindest of friends, to give Maggie every care & attention, & knowing that I could do but little, if there, with the best of Physicians, would be very different, and nothing on earth could keep me from our child. Say to D^r Rogers that I wish him to inform me when all hope for our child is gone, that I may have some little time to get there. My darling wife, keep up your courage. This is just what all many are suffering every home, and all have to suffer at some time. Why should we be unwilling to give our child to our dear Saviours bosom. Let us be resigned, and show our love to God by leaving all in his hands. I wrote to you yesterday. The weather is intensely cold here, but is too warm in my room. I have a very / large coal stove which keeps red hot most of the time. I will send the walnut things so soon as they are made. I have been to several places to have the Lounge made but all say they cannot get men to work and cant fill their present orders. I will write to father and have him see what he can do. Give my love to all. Your fond

                                                                        husband, Harry

 

I told Mrs M.E. that we were coming in April. she was very glad.

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