Henry H. Covert to Lucinda Van Pelt, 18 September 1864
Camp 1st New Jersey Cavelry
Sunday Night September 18th/64
 
            My Dear Wife
            I have not yet received your pictur or the boy i expect to hear tell of his talking soon you must try and make him remember he has got a daddy down south as soon as he is old enuf i shall be home some day to see him thoes picturs that cox took aint worth pocket room if it was not for their being the only ones that i have got of you i shall send this letter by a private mesenger that is John Hustwaits he is the same old John of old and has been very good to me we came off of picket to day riding does not agree with me but i am getting stronger i can get wat kind of medicin i want now by going after it but i / to send home for some medicin i cant get it hear only very small and then the doctor has not got a supply on hand they do not give it out the doctor says but i want it and it is the only kind that does me any good i guess i shall send to you so you send it as soon as you get this in a packedge send me a box of Wrights pills sugarcoted and send me two ounces of opium with out fail if you cant get the pills you need not send them yet but send the opium with out fail it is the only thing that will stop my direaher and John Hustwaits will want to borrow my gun you let him have it he will clean it and bring it back wen he is done with it but do not let any one elce have it unless father wants it but none of the boys no how for i want it in good hands John was allways carfull of a gun and i have very often / had his and now i can repay him he will only want it once and a while and be sure and tell him wen he gets it to bring it back wen he is done with it tell him i am very choise of it and of you to if you want to i shall not write a long letter to night for i am tired and have been very buisy to day putting up a tent but i will answer all your letters as soon as they come i have some things to send to father such as bullets picked up on diferent battle fields and a little stone piked up at richmond he will show them to you i want you to send me paper and envalopes i told father to tell you but i forgot wether i told you or not send me some fancy envalopes if you can get them i like fancy now you must not forget me and tell father that is your father i shall soon send him that letter / i have been talking about so often now mind if he wants to go to the shore or any were that he wants my big gun let him have it but no one elce except John Hustwaits he has proved himself indeed a friend a friend in need is a friend indeed and he is one one has a great many friends as long as he can talk to them and tell funny storries but wen you get sick then is the time true friends show themselves now i close with the hope of soon hearing from you by mail i do not see wat you want to send so many letters to that dismounted camp i haint been their in a month and dont mean to go their again i had sweet potatoes to night they charge fifteen cents a pound a pound just made as many as i could eat and a little more i tell you they was high i just took my last quarter i have only got one cent now that i brought with me from home and intend to keep it                 Good Bye
 
[margin]
 
            private
now tell me how much money you have got and all about your family affairs so i can tell how much money to send you wen we get our pay wich i expect in a few days i would give most any thing for a dollar or two but no use i lent out five dollars of that i got from home hoping to get paid befor this but i have not and now i want it but it is in good hands
7760
DATABASE CONTENT
(7760)DL0245.027107Letters1864-09-18

Tags: Camp/Lodging, Children, Fatigue/Tiredness, Food, Guns, Medicine, Money, Payment, Photographs, Picket Duty

People - Records: 2

  • (2720) [writer] ~ Covert, Henry H.
  • (2721) [recipient] ~ Van Pelt, Lucinda ~ Covert, Lucinda
SOURCES

Henry H. Covert to Lucinda Van Pelt, 18 September 1864, DL0245.027, Nau Collection