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Camp near Chaf[f]ins Bluff [Henrico County, Virginia] July 9th 1862

My dear wife: Yours of June 23[r]d was received last even- ing – as it was the first letter I had gotten for ten days & the first news from home since 19th June, you may guess now joyfully it was received. Though dated by you 23[r]d June, it wasn’t mailed at Townesville [North Carolina] till 5th July, and came through in four days. Sam got one from Bella, dated 5th July, at the same time –so the difficulty in the mails must be near

  I mean at Sass[afras] Fork [North Carolina] or Townesville.

you. ^ Daniel also wrote in Bella’s letter. I was sorry to learn that Aunt Mary & the boys had left you, and am afraid that you will now be very lonely. Oh darling ! You dont know how thankful it makes me, & how much happier & better contented, to get such cheerful, encouraging letters from you, and to know that you take such interest in everything around you. But when you speak of precious little Minnie of her running about & singing [Ditties?] & talking to Charley, it makes me feel as if my absence has been much longer than it really was, & much more anxious to come back to you. I can hardly real- ize that such changes have taken place – though

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it does seem as if an age has passed since I reached Glo[uce]st[er] P[oin]t [Virginia]. I often think that when I get back home, Minnie wont know me, & maybe Charley will hardly recognize me; But I try to look always on the bright side, & to hope with you that not many months will pass before we can all come home again to enjoy a lasting & [?] peace. I look for this though through foreign intervention, as I see yet no evidence of backing down in the North, & no disposition to end this cruel & bloody war. Of course we have to leave all this entirely to the same kind Providence which has watched over us and our affairs during the whole war and enables us to withstand the [overw[h]elming?] num- bers & superior outfit of the enemy, much bet- ter than many of us expected. It is indeed a cruel war – the killed & wounded - the physical suffering & hardships - the suffering from sickness in the camps & hospitals, though much more than you can conceive, is comparatively small when compared with the great mental [underscored] suffering which is not confined to the army, but is spread over the whole country & oppresses all ages & sexes. The

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intense longing of thousands of men for home, [underscored] is one of the causes of so much [sicknesses?] in the army and is one, & by no means the least one, of the [?] of war. So far, Darling, God has watched over me & protected me in a wonderful manner – I have been kept out of battle, I have been spared all sickness, & the exposures & hardships of camp have not been[struck-through] gone very hard with me. It’s true I have been [debassed?] the pleasures of home & of the society of those whose presence are always essential to my happiness, but how many husbands in the army has suffered from this much more than I have. – who have been sep- arated further & longer, & have been cut off from all communication – even by letter, with their [homes?] & families. And then, you & the children & all of our friends have been spared, even from sickness – Our [?]- [t...?] at home have [?] – and best of all, you are in a [retired?] country, far from all danger & from invasion & from the brutal violence & [?] of the barbarous foe. Indeed we have many causes to be happy & thankful, & to trust more [implicitedly?] in Him who has watched so mercifully over us & [?] [?].

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I was very glad of Smileys letter. It contained a good many little items of interest to me not mentioned in yours. I wish you would look back a little over some of my old letters and answer some of the numerous questions I have asked about my farming matters – have they completed the new crop’s fence? saved many clover seed? if my hireds cant save the clover seed I would like to hire labor for this [?] how is the stand of my young crop of clover? – how did they succeed in saving my wheat & oats? Caution them to keep my wheat separate and the small par- cels that Smiley & I picked out last harvest must be cared for – how do they come on working my [corn?] & [lettuce? ]? All of these things, Darling are of much less interest to me than what you do writing about your own feelings & about our little ones; but still I hav’n’t lost all interest in my farm. Tell Mr. Harris, I would like for all of the land around the [?], now in clover & which was in wheat last year to be fallowed this summer for my next crop of wheat. He may begin the fallowing earlier by taking first

[Marginalia]

Direct y[ou]r letters – “Richmond V[irgini]a Care of Capt[ain] Bagley 4th V[irgini]a Reg[imen]t Heavy Artillery, [General Henry Alexander] Wise’s Brigade.” Dont mention Col[onel] Goode’s name, [?] [struck-though] there are two Col[onel] Goodes.

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such portions of the lot which have the poorest stand of clover. I wish they now that he may improve every opportunity for fallowing. I wish also to fallow in all of the spring sowing of oats, as I did last summer. I would give much to take a good walk over my farm; but if I had a month furlough, I hardly feel that I could do it without having you along. I feel very much about you & the children, as Mr.Hines acts toward careing [?] & his child. You know we used to laugh about it & think it exceeding childish. I would like very much to write to him, but any opportunity for writing here are so bad, I never write to any one but you & Ma – I write to you because I cant help it, & a short note to Ma occasionally from a sense of duty. Please give much love to Mr. Hines & his family & to Bob, from me. Doc is sitting by me writing to his love [underscored]. He too received a letter from her yesterday, and he & I went off for a private place to read and enjoy our long expected treasures. After each of us had read our letters over twice, they did us so much good I proposed we exchange , to which Doc readily agreed

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I think mine was the best & Doc thought so too. He said he would write to Bettie that you wrote much more affectionately than she did. – the reasons is darling, because (I know) you love me much more than she does Doc. We frequently have long talks about you & Bettie, and our homes, and [?] this [?] try to forget that we have been separated so long or so far from you We agreed yesterday to spend another such a Christmas as the one immediately after our Mar- riage, next Christmas, - that Doc was then to have his honeymoon, & I a second one. My prayer is that long before then we [underscored] may be together again. I almost envy Daniel Booker & Mr. Baskerville their sick furlough. I dont wish to be sick or wounded, but I do frequently find myself thinking how nice it would be if I were sick or wounded & at home with you to sit by me & nurse me, & Charley & Minnie to romp about & play over me. Gen[eral Henry Alexander] Wise has recently determined to send all of his sick home as fast as they are taken sick – he says the loss is not half what it is when they

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are kept in the hospitals. This has lightened the hearts of many a poor, sick soldier, who were pineing for the comforts of home, & the kind attentions of friends – To change the subject abruptly, I mention while I think of it, - be sure to send by Daniel Booker, a pair of good, strong, but not very heavy shoes, one or two boxes of blacking (they cost $1. a box here) & several pairs of good shoe strings

     & a small bottle of ink

also send me $10. – Tell Daniel that it will be almost useless for him to come back before he is entirely well enough for duty, as he can do no good here until he is, & he may find it hard to get off again if he is taken sick after just retuning. I am glad to tell you that my trunk is still safe in King & Queen [County, Virginia], & as the enemy has been driven back, it will soon be sent to R[ich]mond [Virginia] to Mr. Howison’s. Col[onel] [John Thomas] Goode says we will move our camp this evening, about a mile, in order to get nearer one of the best springs I ever saw – this will throw us very near Chaf[f]in’s Bluff – and is an indication, I think, that our officers ex-

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pect to remain here for some time. I hope we will be kept here, as it is [co...t?] to R[ich]mond, in a beautiful, [?] country, and off from the [c...d?] & bustle of the many army. I have seen to-day papers, but they have no news. I think [Union General George Brinton] McClellan’s army is much stronger than the paper admit, but a good deal de- moralized. Dont think he will give up R[ich]mond without another effort – but this effort cant be made soon, & in the mean time we may attack him. If we are to be recognized by foreign powers, our successes here will cer- tainly booster it. If the Christians over the whole south would take this matter in their hands & pray more earnestly & unitedly for peace I know the war could not last long. Please write soon - & dont omit any of the things you have been writing about, but answer all of the questions I have asked & tell me more about your Pa’s folks – Much love to all of them – to the neighbors & negroes – to Mr. Harris & Smiley. Mention any of the killed or wounded of our acquaintances – May God continue dear wife, to bless you & ours. Y[ou]r devoted husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]

[Marginalia]

Tell Mr. Harris to do any he thinks best about plowing up the herds grass I dont wish to destroy the herds grass - especially if it is a tolerable stand. By fallowing may be he will make the stand better.