No. 3

Pontiac Ill. 9th Jan. 1863

My Dear Frank

Yours of Dec. 28th & 31st came to hand tonight & sad intelligence they brought I have not been to town & do not know whether Mr. Taylor’s family have heard of his death What a terrible blow it will be to them God alone can comfort them now Were you with him when he died. I pray God that the others may recover. I am sorry you do not hear from home it must be very wearisome waiting so long for letters I wish I could send you some papers There is good news from Rosencrans & bad from Vicksburg (Gen. Sherman) I sent you a bill (bank) in one of my letters I was in hopes it would reach you to get you comforts while you were sick but as it did not I hope you will enjoy them all the more now you are well My heart is filled with thankfulness to our Heavenly Father for restoring you to health May he continue his mercies to us. Jonny called on Collins the other & spoke of the money belonging to the Dart Estate he promised to forward immediately what he had in his posession. Mr. Artley has gone to Chicago & will if possible collect from Beattie the amount remaining due I believe I told you in my last letter of receiving one from Jennie Mother sent our baby a beautiful dress by Charley McGregor Jonnie gives me a very kind invitation to visit Carlisle She expects to go to housekeeping in the spring I tell her I will not impose on her but will write till she becomes thoroughly accustomed to keeping house with two babys before I take a third there Jenny had a letter from Thomas yesterday he is well & says he will write to me when he gets a good Photograph to send I can hardly be reconciled to the idea of his not coming home this winter he said he had one weeks vacation & Mr. Scott thought it three days to long This last year he has cleared $900, lacking $7.50

I have not been over home for a month but will go tomorrow & call on Mrs. Haskins I do not see anything of her lately I suppose she has kept at home as closely as I have The last I heard of her she was sadly in need of money it seems her husband wrote to her to collect some money of Lyons. He says that Haskins used it all long ago I feel very sorry for her it must be very hard with so many little ones to feed & clothe There has been no new case of Small Pox for some little time & I think it is about over

This is the third letter I have written you since the 1st of Jan. Hereafter I will number them & you will know if you get them all I do not hear anything of Gaff did he get a discharge? I think his wife must have gone to Lexington I have not seen her lately We reopen S. School next Sunday I do hope it will be well attended I feel that you are praying for us Sammy tells me they have Union prayermeetings every night at private houses Wednesday night it was at Mr. Johnstons thursday at Mr. Lawrences & tonight at Mr. Fishers I hope to be able to attend them when I go to Mothers I go to morrow If Maples does not go till after next week I will try & get a budget of letters from the S. School scholars. Maggie says do not forget to give my love to Frank. Baby is well excepting a cold I hope it will not last long He snores like a soldier Accept all the love you can carry from your wife

M M Culver