Camp 1^st N.J. Cavelry

Thursday, January 5^th 1865

 

Dear Wife

                        I receivd a very welcomb letter from you this morning in wich you said that father would bring in person but i receivd it through the mail and one from pool and a package from father i am writing now on some of the paper and that diary you spoke of i have got it my old one i will send home some time if i can i got the letter with thread in both of them i get all the letters you send and i write all i can i have been buisy to day this morning we got wood and this afternoon i had to drill saber drill some of the dumest men you ever saw been in the service longer than i have and cannot handle the saber yet it is fine work but to day it is very muddy under foot but we get along very well dress parade to night shoe top deep in mud but we will get along / very well some how i have not got my box yet their came a 4 horse load to night but i got none but next time will be mine i hope Sutphan got his John Sutphen was hear to day he gave your love to me i think you had better stay were you are if you can it is a good place for my wagon and it will cost you more to move you better see Van Dorn soon very soon befor he lets someone elce have it you had better stay if you have to rent the whole house i am tired of you asking help of either help your self and i will be home some time sure and then i will be very good to you to pay you up i shall pay for the things mother put in the box two chickens they have got 3 that belongs to me stout Higgans has got a chicken that belongs to me get it if you can James Breece has and he lives were Manny gibson lived wen i took you their and Alenaxandr Anderson has one if your father will let you have that dog i can get him kept if not say nothing / about it and wen i come home maybe i will not want a dog or gun or anything elce but i want my stove dont let them fool you out of that as you did the leather for wat i give and wen i come home have to give as much again as i did for that i do not expect to have a thing left or a dollar wen i get home but i will be able to say wat a good many cannot and that is i have done my duty and got my pay and i will have a good name and you and my boy if he lives you write he is sick and sore and it will not do to cure him it makes me uneasy i would very much like to see you and all the rest tell me why father did not come John Sutphen could have brought him through free of all expence he ought to have come if he had time levi will get my gun i expect but not to keep it is yours if i do not come back but i think that i will if not you can sell it and get the monney that 50 dollars bond you had better / get the monney for and put it out you have to pay 5 per cent interest on them and you only get 7 per cent so you better get the monney for it as soon as father goes to town and put it out with the rest that monney laying still a whole year wen you might as well had 18 dollars more as not i think it rather bad i often think i would have put it out on interest some way or other i wish that i could get a fourlough i would find a place for it some wear i hope you can get father off i would like to see him my buisness stands i feel good in bodily helth but i feel very bad about my affairs at home you spoke of mother sending flour and i asked for it i do not remember it anyway if i did i must have been thinking i was writing to you i am going to write pool a letter to night if i get time i want to write to him i would like to get home if only i put out that monney if i should not live to get back their is monney enuf to keep you untill you can find another do not go to your father again no how put your monney out and live on the interest and the work you can do but i think God in his infinate goodness will spare me to you again now my dear wife good by with many a kiss and do not worrie your self

if you will pleas me do not show                                                       

this letter to anyone 

 

Farewell to night   

H H Covert                                                                                   

SOURCES