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York Town, Nov 19th 1861

My dear Wife

I had sent a note to you a few moments before Mr. Bryan handed me your most welcomed letter. You will find in that note, directions how to use a cough mixture I intended sending little Sadie. The gentleman was in such haste to leave York Town, that I forgot to prepare the mixture, until I had arrived at the Quarter Master’s office, and then it was too late for me to return to the Hospital. I will however send it by Mrs. Taliafino to-day.

My darling wife, must pour out all of her troubles to me, and in return, she will receive a heartful of sympathy

Indeed, you have your hands full at present, but I am in hopes that you duties as nurse will soon terminate. Monty is better, and your Mothers indisposition is I judge only slight. I regret that it is not in my power to relieve you of at least a part of your labors. It would give me pleasure to reflect that I had shared your sorrows, as well as well as your joys. I feel that we are one and [inde...able?], and that whatever effects one, must produce a correspondent effect up on the other.

I heard a gentleman on yesterday pay you a very handsome complement, and if I was not afraid that it would make you a little vain I would repeat it to you. The gentleman says that he has been introduced

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to you, but did not remember your face at the time that he enquired who you were. He was very much surprised to hear that I was the possessor of such a piece of morality.

It seems that our marriage is not generally known, for I have had four or five of my acquaintances to congratulate me on the occurance. Cap’t [Payton?] was particularly profuse in heaping the com- plements on you, and claims to be an old ac- quaintance of yours.

Tell sister Bland that she must persevere in taking the bitter portion I left for her, that is, provided she does not have fever. Then she had better send for a Physician besides she had better take [..?..] occasionally. Give my love to her.

I had quite a pleasant ride down on Sunday, the day was delightfully invigorating, and I felt very much renewed from my visit to you, it has given me new life and energy. It seems to me that the last visit is always the most agreeable one. On my way down, I called by Mrs. McCandish’s, and took a cup of coffee, and ascertained that it was highly probable that she would not go down to Bellefield this week. I would be truly disappointed at your being prevented from coming down, but duty always before pleasure, if you think that your presence is necessary at home, then I have no right to complain. There is one thing that I must

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insist upon, and that is you must not over task your strength, when nature requires it, take rest. You must remember that you do not belong to yourself, and your must interperate the above as an order and not a request.

Old York Town presents the same uninviting aspect

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as [here?] to face, and I have to ^ through the same monotonous routines of duty day after day and now that the cold weather is upon us, I am afraid that my duties will be more disagreeable than ever. However, I must not complain, as I feel much better than I did a few days before I saw you. My visit has left a [lovely?] empression on my mind yet my darling wife I do take pleasure in complying with your request, that I would write to you by Mr. Taliafino. I am afraid that i produced the impression on your mind that it was positively disagreeable to write under any circumstances. Such is not the case. In the abstract I can’t say that I am fond of letter writing. But when it comes to writing to you, the whole aspect of things are changed. I love to write to you, because, I ex- pect to receive a reply, and I love to tell you in what [estimate?] I love you. So please banish any false impression I may have [procured?] on your mind.

Please let my garters come down quite low on the [foot?] and write soon to your devoted Husband

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