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Hd. Qr., 129th Ills. Vol.
Gallatin, Tenn., Aug. 14th 1863

My Dear Wife

No letter from you yet. It is four days since I recd. your last letter. I have continued to write every other day, & I presume you have done the same, but the irregularity of the mails prevent their coming.

We received a dispatch from Bill Russell; he will be here this evening. Scott McDowell is with him. I anticipate a very pleasant time for a few days, & a host of News from Pontiac. I shall send you everything of importance by next mail.

I shall be really happy if I but receive a letter from you assuring me of your good health and Frankie’s. As soon as you get quite well, I shall expect a full history of your visit. I want to know all that transpired during your stay in New York. Will you go to Niagara? If you go to Harrisburg by way of Rochester, it will not be very far out of your way to go to the falls. I hope to see them some day, &, if you can do so, I should advise you to go & see them.

I have not received one particle of News of any kind since I sent you the letters I recd. I will write to Sis [Maggie Utley] this morning to send me 3 or 4 white shirts by [Alfred] Huetson. She can easily find them; can she not? I shall direct her to look in the desk drawers; all I fear is that they may be locked.

Rumor says that the 129th will leave Gallatin this week.¹ I have no reason to believe that it is true, yet it is not improbable. Mrs. Smith is no better; ’tis a bitter Struggle with death. God alone knows which will conquer; she is resigned to her fate. Her disease has been of so long duration and so severe as to almost make death desirable; she has expressed such desires I am told. She is utterly helpless.

I saw Mrs. Laurence & Mrs. Loir [Lore] yesterday evening, they are both quite well.²
I tried to get permission to go to Bowling Green Ky., to meet Bill & Scott but had my usual luck in refusal. I have no cause to complain. God has given me excellent health, &, if I could but know that you were well & happy, I should be fully satisfied. It is hard to be so far away from those we love when sickness or troubles intervene.

I fear I am a dreamer, but I have tasted of realities. I have often thought how happy we will be in Heaven. “There will be no sorrow there.” We will not be separated but to all eternity enjoy each other’s society. Let us try hard to take Frankie with us. Teach him of Jesus as soon as he can understand. Perhaps I shall be with you by another year, when together we will teach him & pray for him.

Have you any further evidence of your former anticipations? You must not fail to tell me of all your hopes and fears, joys & troubles. I hope to receive a long letter from you this evening.

I sent you a coral & gold embroidered Masonic Pin. I have not yet seen a fitting pin, or I should buy you one. Give my love to Mother [Murphy] & all our friends. Kiss Frankie for me. I have never heard of the letter I wrote to Sarah. Tell me whether it was received. May God bless you, My Dear Wife, & bless our child. Keep us all in health & restore us speedily to our homes & each other’s society. Let us continue to pray. I shall very probably write to-night, so till then, Farewell.

Your Affect. Husband
J. F. Culver

1. With the destruction of Morgan’s command and the withdrawal of Bragg’s Confederate army from Middle Tennessee, the danger of a raid by an organized Rebel force on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad had been alleviated. Partisans would have to be guarded against, but to cope with these required less troops. General Rosecrans could now redeploy some of his troops guarding that vital railroad. [↩]
2. Mrs. Laurence of Pontiac was the wife of Pvt. Reuben E. Laurence of Company G. [↩]