Private.

Sat. Jan. 17^th

 

            My Dear Wife,

                                    I have already writen a great deal and a considerable part of it may not be very interesting to you but owing to my knowledge of the fact that I may not have an opportunity of mailing a letter to you soon again, I am still reluctant about concluding. I feel as though you and I were chatting in the good old style just a short time before we expected to experience a separation. You know how it is then—we ask a great many questions and answer a great many; we talk as fast as we can but the longer we talk the / farther we are from a suitable quiting place and finely we are obliged to bluntly end the subject and lisp the awful good-bye! I expect to see you again and I expect to press your hand in mine again and I expect to press my lips to yours again but I hope I may never again bid you good-bye! I am now the only man in our Co that has not been on the sick-list, and know that I am freer from homesickness than two thirds of the men in our Co, but I know another thing to a certainty, ie, that I think think more of the society of my Dear Wife than /

 

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I do of honor or the best government that ever existed. Oh! how much I would like to know just how you are today but how much more I would like that you knew just where we are and just how we all came out of the late battle Lou and Jim Long were not in the last battle on account of disability and Jim Harden was not in the last day's battle at Vicksburg for the same reason. I will not write any more now but will try and write more before mailing. Sun the 18^th. This morning the [?] on which the sick of our Reg. came up with us reported that Story died night before last. You are acquainted with him. you know he and his wife were in the Cap's room with us at Camp Lanman. It is also reported that Bob Moore, one / of the men of our Co that was wounded in the last battle had died since we left the Post. I have not seen Jim Harden yet nor heard any thing more from him. I have not seen the hospital boat yet and I do not believe that it is coming up. Tues 20^th. I had thought all the time that I would mail this at St Louis but as we are now within a few hours run of Cairo and a good many are preparing to mail at that place I will close this for the same purpose. I am afraid that we have met our mail on its way down the river and that I will not hear from you again till we return to our Brigade.

 

                                                                                                Your affectionate

                                                                                                            husband

                                                                                                                        Enos Reed

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