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Chaffin’s Bluff Sept[ember] 27th 1862

My dear wife:

I looked anxiously for a letter from you this evening, but none came. I always feel more disappointed at not receiving letters Saturday evening than any other time because there is generally no mail on Sunday, and I know that another whole day may pass without hearing from you. I dont know why, but I have thought more about you to-day, and wished more to see you than I have done for a long time. I hav’n’t been low spirited, but impatient to see you and the children, to be with you and tell you, Darling, how much I love you and how much I miss you and what means I am [often, often?] compelled to take in order to keep from thinking of you. I believe it would drive me mad did I know that another six months would pass, as the last have. I have thought so much about getting a furlough and been so much disappointed both times when I failed, that now I hate to hear the word called. I sometimes

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feel that our generals are so unreasonable & partial in granting furloughs, that the government which employs such officers, will lose the love of those who are subjected to such great privations and injustice to sustain it and that [where?] government may have the right to require its subjects to risk fortune and life for its maintainance, it hasnt the right to keep a man for six months within a days ride of wife and chil- dren and home, half of the time doing absolutely nothing, and not allow him the privilege of spend- ing a few days with them. I think and feel more this way to-day I suppose, because one of the members of our company, has just made arrangements to board his wife within a mile of camp, & she came down this morning and met him and I saw how happy it made them. Why cant you & Aunt Judy come down a little later in the Fall, and spend some two or three weeks, if not longer, in a nice quiet country family, a mile from Sam & me. And as there will then be much

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less danger of decease, why cant you bring Charley and Minnie along with you so that we all can again be happy together. And yet, Precious, I do not [urge?] it, and cannot, unless I know more about what you think of the prudence of such a step. If Aunt Judy cant come, Mr. Booker & Aunt [Mary?] might come with you. I feel that it is right self- ish in me to make the request; and leave it all to you, but cant help saying something sometimes about it. Dont let anything that I say influence you to do anything which does not fully meet with your own approbation & your Pa’s. We are getting singly fixed in our new place, and have commenced to put up our cabins. Have nearly logs & slats enough cut for all of our houses, and as soon as we can get the wagons to haul them we’ll progress very rapidly in building. Abe got a letter from Joe Daniel to- day, asking him to propose his name as a mem- ber of our company, and saying that he will be down as soon as he is entirely recovered from

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a right severe spell of sickness which he had some days before. Cousin Bettie wrote to me the same letter & said that Joe’s wife had been crying ever since he determined to come. I am sorry he is obliged to come, but think he will be a fine acqui- sition to our mess. I see in the mornings paper that congress has passed an act, extending the con- script bill so as to embrace all up to 45. This will take Smiley, unless there is a provision that at least one negro may be left on each plantation. If there is such a provision, I dont know why I cant get off under it if Smiley is taken, and I think too it would be perfectly right. I could then come home, have a furlough, and if I felt dis- posed, again enter the service. I have been told there was such a provision , but hav[e]n’t seen it. [General Henry Alexander] Wise’s Brigade has returned to-day. They went down to build some bridges & [remove?] some wheat & corn from near the river, where it was exposed to the enemy’s gun boats. They had no engagements with the enemy.

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(Sunday evening) We commenced our Sunday school this morning as we used to have it at Glou[ce]st[er] P[oin]t. L[ieutenan]t Ryland presides – Each one read a verse in turn, and he asks questions on it, first of the man who read the verse, and then the class dis- cuss it, by asking and answering questions, and giving their views of the meaning of certain passages. We began with 1st Timothy our lesson being the first chapter. After bible class Mr. Rich[ar]d Bagley, an older brother of Capt[ain] Bagley gave us a fine sermon. He preached again this evening at the 26th Reg[imen]t but as I had had but little time for reading, I didn’t go to hear him. The manner we take of studying the Bible is certainly the most im- proving way I have ever tried. Mr. Rich[ar]d Bagley forgot again to bring my trunk, but I have written to an old member of our company who is coming up this week, and am sure he will bring it. One of our mess went to R[ich]mond yester- day for the box you sent us, but it hadn’t come. I was there Thursday, didn’t expect it as soon, but was disappointed it

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hadn’t come yesterday. The box which Sue sent me was sent on the freight train, and lost in the Depot, or taken out by some one else. If yours was certainly put on the express, it will come – I supposed there was no one at South Boston [Halifax County, Va.] to look after it, and they neglected to put it on. I asked Barksdale & Bro[ther]s to look after it. I got one for Dr. F[lournoy] the day I left was in Richmond. Hereafter, whenever you send anything to me, I think you had best send it to the Care of Barksdale & Bro[ther]s, instead of Mr. Howison, as it is more in their line of business, and their office is just where our wagons always go for their loads. As the time for sowing wheat comes on. I think more and more about my farm and my matters at home. I feel anxious to sow as large a crop as possible on my back land, and to have it put in as [?] as possible, and thoroughly drained, as I [need?] to [do?] it. I was right much troubled when I heard that they had been un- able to do any fallowing – especially when the summer and fall here has been the best I ever saw for fallowing. The James River farmers have done a great deal of it. Be sure and have the rest of the orchard around the Barn set out in apple trees, and also some choice peach trees set them too. We must [bag?] enough trees to set out that orchard, and then raise what we shall need afterwards. Also have trees set in the yard. You had best set out more than necessary in the yard, as some may die, and it will be very easy to cut some down should they all live. I would be glad for you to send my flannel shirts as soon as you can, also my boots (and those I wrote to have made) and a pair of thick shoes. If you can, get Jimmy Watkins, to come down and substitute me for a week or ten days – so that I can come and attend to all these things myself. But I know I wouldn’t think of any thing of this sort if I could get a furlough, unless it was for several months. I wrote to Aunt Mary Saturday. Daniel is in fine health and spirits – is better able to stand the service

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now (I know) than when he first entered it. They are be- ginning now to put us on very light guard duty – only at night around our camp. I have been trying to get a yankee pictorial to send Charley, but have failed. Tell him we have now six or eight little tame squirrels in our camp. I of- ten try to think how Charley and Minnie look now - [six?] [at?] long months as the last have been, have, I know, made considerable change in both of them. I am going [‘I am going’ struck-through] You nev- er say anything about yourself – your health, or your Ma’s. Tell me all about this and about my farm what they are doing, and how the crops turn out. I could write to you all night, darling, but must close so as to write to Joe Daniel, and give him such directions about coming to the company & bringing his baggage as he may need. I still think that this horrible war cannot last much longer. I still hope and pray that I may be with you at home by next spring – Good night my precious – Y[ou]r devoted Husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]