Pontiac Ill. Dec 2nd 1862

Joseph F Culver Esq

My Dear Husband

I am so sorry you do not get my letters I have written you five since you first mentioned the prospect of staying a Bowling Green & in each one have expressed the great desire I had of joining you there Yours of the 27th (Thanksgiving) I rec’d last evening I do wish I had gone when you first stopped at Bowling Green I could have been with you a little while, if not long, Mrs Smith has not gone, & I heard did not intend going. I have not seen her since she came home, I went up saturday evening to see Duff & learn if he had ever forwarded that letter but could not find him. I saw Herrington & he said he would see that it was forwarded if it was not all ready You say you feel anxious to get the news to know what is being done I can tell you what is being done I suppose as well any one can for the last three weeks there has been nothing but suppositions & contradictions One day they say there will be a battle soon in some place the next it will be somewhere else & so it goes if anything is being done outsiders do not know it Jonnie has not got back from Chicago yet neither have we heard from him I will attend to your boots & see that you have them by Maples Mr Ladds family all have the small pox Lara Russel and the little boys are very bad Mr Russel went to Bloomington to day to get a Physician They had a family of negroes that Mr. Taylor brought & they suppose that they brought them The people will feel more than ever like tarring & feathering Taylor I never knew somany to have the Measles Last Sunday I dont suppose there was one third of the children & teachers at Sabbath school Mr. Lee’s family are all sick with them Mr Millers Mr Babcocks Dr. Coswells Doctor Morton Mr Strevells Mr. Lyons Mrs Haskins in fact nearly every family in town has some member in it sick Mr. Herrington & Mr. Duff too none of them I think are dangerous I should not be surprised if our baby had them though he has not been out any where since they came about In less than two weeks dear Frank will be the first anniversary of our wedding I’m afraid it will be a sad day to both of us I want you to think of me & baby all day I shall be at home in the very room where we spent the first happy hours of wedded life I wonder where you will be not on picket duty I hope It makes me shiver every night to think maybe you are out guarding somewhere in the dark & cold I believe if I were a man I would be a real coward May God ever preserve you in the midst of all danger I must close this letter now so that it may go out in this mail but I will write again tomorrow It quite discourages me when I think it is not at all likely that you will receive my letter Did you not get that one which had one enclosed for Allen Fellow? Good bye my husband Ever pray for your own wife always

Mary M. C.

Mother says Give my love & tell him I will write again.

Dont put any stamp on your next letters perhaps they will be more likely to come