.NTg2.NzUy

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Camp Chaffin’s Farm Aug[us]t 18th 1862.

My dear Wife:

I intended writing to you, as usual, yesterday (Sunday) evening, but after attending preach- ing, over at the 26th, I came back, laid down and slept so long, that I felt too badly during the evening to write. I will write hastily this morn- ing that you may hear from me at the regular time as I know how bad it is to fail getting letters. I got only one from you du- ring the last week dated Aug[ust] 11, containing in it a note [underscored] from Millie to me, & a long letter to Doc. Tell Millie I wont be cheated in that way. I must have a separate & distinct letter written en- tirely to me. I consider hers & yours only as one letter, as she must [‘she must’ struck-through] it came under one envelope, and she must write a letter in itself to come at a dif- ferent time from yours. The court martial has kept me very busy writing during the last week, but as it excuses me from all other duties [underscored], even

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from morning & evening roll calls, I will be very sorry when it is through. – Tried eight ca- ses last week, all for desertion, the men who fell back on the march we made from Glo[uce]st[er] P[oin]t.. Have some fifty cases for different offences to try now, if the witness can be had. Some of them will be long and very interesting cases. I do hope it will continue for a month or more and before adjuring move to Richmond, as most of its members seem now to wish. Last Thursday I got a note from Sis[ter] Sue, saying that she had just sent me a box to R[ich]mond; [Abe?] of the mess went for it friday & brought it to camp. It was a fine one. Had in it two hams, a quantity of corn bread, biscuits, light bread, pies, apples, green corn, potatoes, onions beets, peach & cherry pickles, butter, cucumber [catnip?], & a nice present of chewing tobacco from Mr. Redd, We have things enough now to last us for some time still have a good many of the nice things you sent us. – Your barrels & box beat any I have seen

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come in Camp yet. Ven Daniel came over again Saturday & spent the evening with us, - he seems anxious to be with some friend [underscored], as all the offi- cers & men in his brigade are strangers to him. He is a fine fellow I think – said if he could he would spend all of his time with us. Sam & Doc made him a visit yesterday. - I was anxious to go with them; but thought it wouldn’t be exactly right to spend Sunday in strolling over the country. The Brigade in which Ven is seems to be kept on the opposite side of the [James] River for the same reason that ours is kept here. – for the defence of the two Bluffs [Drewry’s and Chaffin’s] Our Brigade, in is no division, it is detached, for a special purpose. The report a- bout Mr. Baskerville’s comp[an]y going to old [General ‘Stonewall’] Jackson was a mistake, though it may be gone now. Nearly all the troops around the Bluffs on both sides of the river except our Brigade on this & [Martin’s?] Brigade on the other have been moved off. The fact that Gen[eral] [Robert E. ] Lee, detailed the whole C[our]t Martial from Gen[eral] [Henry Alexander] Wise’s

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Brigade to try all the criminals in the army on this side of Richmond is an evidence that he expected it to be stationary, at least, for a month or so. I saw in one of the papers last week that L[ieutenan]t Venable was wounded in Old Jacksons fight near [?]. – this is Bettie Edmond’s [Jno.?] Venable. I hav’n’t read anything about it but that. – In your last letter, Darling, you seemed to be more impatient, and discouraged than usually. I feel so too frequently – feel as if I cant stand it any longer, - but then I become a- gain more reconciled, hoping that the time will soon come, when we shall be together at our dear house to be separated no more in this life. The reason why I hav[e]n’t been home as other have, is that I have been more blessed in health. Health is a much greater blessing here in the army, than it is at home. When a man gets sick here he is indeed to be pitied. I have written this very hastily, Darling, as it is my rule to mail a letter to you every Monday morning, & I failed to write any yesterday. Love to all – God bless you all, Darling. Y[ou]r aff[ectionate] & dev[oted] husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]