I did not mean that most of a week should elapse before I wrote you again

Joseph Culver Letter, October 31, 1862, Page 1Pontiac Ill. Oct. 31st 1862

My Dear Husband.

I did not mean that most of a week should elapse before I wrote you again, but I have been expecting to hear every day that Gagan was going, & have put it off thinking he would take it to you sooner than the mail would. I have at last succeeded in getting a picture of Baby & Mary. I was almost discouraged I went so many times to the daguearian [rooms?] before I could get them. I will send them by Gagan, he starts next thursday I believe. I received yours of the 25th this afternoon. I do not get all your letters, & I presume you dont get mine, all of them I mean. Mrs. Dr. Johnson has had but one letter from her husband since he went away, & a number of others are the same. I guess their husbands are not a thoughtful as mine. I wrote to your Mother the other day. I have not heard from either Hanna or Jennie yet. I cant think the mails are to blame for Mrs. McGregor & Emma hear regularly from Charlie. He always speaks of your folks so I guess the are well as usual. Our letters may have been miscarried. I rec’d your watch all safe saturday evening with a letter. Mr Smith wrote to his wife for some mittens do you not want some? I will try and get a pair done to send with the pictures. Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Armstrong were here today, we had a very pleasant visit. Mrs. Smith seems very cheerful, and looks well. I never felt dear Frank how thankful I ought to be for having a fat healthy baby, until I saw Eveline’s It is certainly the poorest little thing I ever saw, & suffers so much. It seems to me if it were mine I should be glad to see it die & be at rest. Mrs Bayer has but two children left, little Mary was buried yesterday. Rosa and Willie are better. there have been a number of other cases of diptheria this week but none have proved fatal as yet. Ida Gagan & Ida Buck are both sick with it. We press our little ones closer to our bosoms thinking to shield them from harm & disease, but God only knows where the next stroke may fall, & he alone can give us strength to bear our trials. Our baby is well. I wish I could feel that you were. Why do you try to keep up with the Regt? Cant you stop and recruit a while? You know you are so likely to take colds & relapses when you expose yourself so. Jonnie is some better today, he took cold three days ago & it put him back a good deal. He came down stairs to day for the first time. I am going home to morrow to stay for at least a couple of weeks before we break up houskeeping. Sis feels very badly about going & I feel tempted to stay by the old house as long as possible Mrs Rennick has not got home yet & she has had a quarrel with Abbie so she wont go there I expect she will go to Mrs Custers. Leander showed me a $20 green back bank note the other day & told me to tell Frank not be to troubled as there was plenty more of the same sort he also told me to tell you to send home all of your old boots as that boy would need them shortly I asked Mr. Russel about that note which you spoke of and he said Wolverton had never said anything to him about it & he thought not to Dehner either Smett spoke here night before last & the band played. I think it is the first time since the Regt. left they dont practice either I wish you would ask Mr. Smith what his wife writes in the letter that she sends by Gagan I have had a talk with her & will have another if she writes so to her husband. I think it is too bad. Jonnie thinks she does it to annoy him because she so opposed his going and will stop when she thinks she has punished him enough. Jack Young and Alice are married I got a card last week they are in Camp Delaware state of Delaware, he is Captain of a company & Joe is Lieut. I dont know whether Mary is there or not. In your next letter will you give the names of those who are sick in the Regt & whether they are likely to recover Take good care of yourself & may God bless you & permit you to return in safety to your Wife & baby

M. M. C.

Nov 1st Jonnie is not so well to day he took cold again yesterday the poor fellow is quite discouraged Jonnie says our baby has a splendid head, If you would like any medicine of any kind won’t you let me know & I will watch for an opportunity to send it. I will send you some papers by Gagan if he will carry them. I suppose if you go to Nashville there is no probability of your coming home this fall. The time looks very long May God help us both to be patient baby & wife send love with numerous friends

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