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Near Wilmington April 1864
My dear Brother I was more than glad to see your kind & good letter yesterday evening. I had been looking for one from you a long time. Though as I heard you were at home enjoying yourself several times, I did not feel uneasy. When you said you had been ordered back to the same kind of duty, I felt very much disappointed, for I had hoped that you would either get a discharge,as you sought to have or be assigned to some light & more agreeable & profitable office, but we must not give way to disagreeable thoughts. Try always to make the best of "here & now", to enjoy all we can. I'm truly glad you have a comfortable room & plenty to eat, hope when you get acquainted with the people you will be better pleased. I send a letter from Maddison.
Since she came back from Petersburg she said if she had got back to Wilson(?) before you left she would have gone up with you. I sent a letter from Mary Stone yesterday. She said they were all well at Pa's & that rs. Boleyn was there yet. I have not sent a letter from any of the family in some time. Mary has not gone back to Samfern(?) yet but speaks of doing so next week, she spends part of her time out here, & part in town with Julia. She & all at Sister's think a heap of you. I was so glad to get your letter. & wish I could see you today. Simon sends a heap of love to you. We are at Uncle John's & have had the first(?) spell of weather , "to be sure"-nothing but wind & clouds & rain, until to day , & Aunt Ellen is having a general brushing up. Ian was here the other day, he looks pretty well, but has not grown much, I have never heard how many girls they have at W.F. nor any thing about the school. I came up stairs since I commenced writing, & as it is night, & there is no ink up here, I will finish my
letter with pencil. I wish you were here tonight but, you are far away, never mind, maybe I will have a home some day, where you can stay with me, & let me do just as much for your comfort & pleasure as I want to. Most people think the war will end this year, take good care of yourself, & as Mrs. George Winston would say, "follow my injunction" about your health & ? above will cultivate a cheerful, hope ful spirit, it often does more good than a medicine. Simon is not going to school, but I teach him and Katie when we do not have company. I could board in town & send him, but am afraid of disease, there are in many hospitals there. The Soldiers have been doing night bad about here, robbing people on the road, beat- ing them & we heard to day the authorities were having a wall built around one en campment to keep them in, poor things, I reckon, many of them are reckless, desperate but they ought not to do so. They beat one old many, not far from here, so that his life is despaired of. Write to me whenever you have time, & feel like it. I'm always so glad to hear from you. Simon has just gone to bed, he says I must tell you he has got your knife yet, he and Katie have been catch ing birds too. We have had fish occasion ally - but they are not plentiful like they used to be. I remember you always in my prayers dear brother. As it is getting late I will say good night.___ Ever ? Sister Vic
