Sunday April the 17 1864

 

Dear Wife

                        i receivd your letter last evning but out of camp was unable to answer it it rained very hard but it was our turn to go on picket so we had to go we stood up all night around the fire we had our rubber blankets on and did not get wet but a dirtier sett you never seen but we washed the dirt off and appeared once more like ourselves i shall not rite your letter this time very long we got marching ordors to night i am very sleepy and you must excues me to night i did not sleep any last night besides standing up all the time and now i will just ask you a few questions did you receive a letter from me with one in for john Carr i sent one and abe stryker he put one in for him did your father get that one i sent him i sent you a letter last week about moving / you will get that befor you get this i sent an answer to annies letter on friday night but for want of paper was obliget to take half a sheet of big paper i had not much time but it was the best i could do you sent me envalopes but i want stamps i can get paper and envalopes by hard pinch but stamps is somthing that is hard to get and if you get any they beg them of you till you have got none then you can go to beg our time is taking up pretty much now the inspections is twice a day to morrow we are to be inspected by the great genaral Sharman you wanted to know wat i lent to silcox it was in the first place twenty but he paid and i owed him somthing untill it was $11.30 i think it was 30 cents but never mind the cents as for mount he can go to a place that is never very cold for all that i owe him on the two years rent nine dollars and some cents look at the bills you must give silcox both papers or elce he can do nothing may be you had better not say any thing more about it untill i come back i will give him fifteen dollars dam his tripe / he will take wat is due him or nothing do not give him another cent than wat i owe him he cant get six dollars out of me the dam shirk i will give him a pice of my mind wen i see him he need not think becaus i enlisted that i do not know anything or got no friends if he says any thing more just give the papers to the esquired keep them by you till i come home you had better move out of the place as soon as you can wen i come i will move you out of sight of the dam little state i have got a notion to go to philidelphia to a military school i get thirty days furlough and then i get a comishion in a collord rejiment i do not know wether to go or not may i will and may be not i am glad to hear the little boy is so smart you must not let him forget me i think you had better keep my stove i do not want to sell that stove you must know that he at least would not want to give me any more for it than i give and they cost as much again now and if you lend it you might just as well give it away and say no more about it i shall want a stove if i live and if i do not why you had better sell it and / put the money in your poket as for taking work you had better wait untill you have to i told you often enuf that i did not mary you to keep your self and now would you do any thing that i did not wish you to now that i am away from you you take good care of our boy and train him up in the way he should go and do not work yourself to death for three days to earn 50 cents it is shamefull to hear of it makes my cheeks tingle to hear tell of my wife working to keep herself from starving do try and walk up strait as i used to tell you breast out and look like a happy wife wen i come home the boys thinks you do not think much of me i have got no picturs of you i suppoes the dresses you sent me a sample of is very nice very if i can get a stamp i will send this off to you to morrow then i hope you will answer it as soon as you can i never let a sabbeth go by without sending you a letter i am very well indeed but as for them lice i looked to day and found i was full of them i had to burn up shirt and them drawers you made me i haited to part with them but i cant stand the gray backs as the boys call them i would like to see you so bad that i cannot write it that is very bad i tell you now you see that you move out of the place now remember me in your prayers as i do you in mine do not quite forget your loving Husband as he cannot forget his darling she gets dearer to him evry day take good care of the little boy and see that your pretty eyes is open wen you get your pictur taking from you know who

H H Covert

 

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of Charley Whittick last letter

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