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Chaffin’s Bluff Batteries, March 28th, 1863

My darling Wife: -

I promised in my last, which was written in great haste and with little satisfaction, to write again to-day, my regular day for writing, and my guard-day. It has been raining pretty well all day & the guard-tent leaks so much I have put it off until it is now nearly night, and I will be compelled to finish to-morrow. I reached Henderson [NC] after leaving you about two hours before the cars passed. While waiting Dr. Roger Gregory, as[sistan]t Surgeon of Baskerville’s Reg[imen]t, came up on his way back to the Army. He reached Weldon [NC] about 6 o.c[lock] & waited there till 9 o.c[lock] for the arrival of the Southern Train. On the railroad to Weldon Mr. Hunter, “the Children’s Friend” came through the cars distributing tracts; I enclose his circular, which he gave with each tract, so that you may see what he is doing. One of my greatest objections to him is the way he has of boasting through such printed circulars of what he is doing & has done. If this had been little simple tracts, I think they would do more good. We reached Petersburg [VA], after a slow, tiresome trip on very crowded cars, at 3 o.c[lock] in the morn- ing & all the passengers, including a good many ladies & some sick soldiers, were put off at the Richmond depot, in the mud and damp, cold, dark night to stand an hour & wait for the lazy officials to unlock the R[ich]mond cars & examine the passports of each passenger as he passed in. I got off at “[Rices?] Turnout” about six miles before getting into Richmond, & not five miles from my camp: & reached camp about 8 1/2 o.c[lock] Tuesday morning. I have seldom had a more crowded, disagreeable, uncomfort- able trip, and then all the time, I was going away [underscored] from Home [underscored] to the miserable camp. [underscored] Oh, Darling! you cant know how my heart yearns for the time when we can again enjoy ourselves with our dear little ones, around the fire-side of our old, happy Home, and feel that there will be no more shortening furloughs to tear us apart again – no more long, weary separations on this side of the grave. Never before have I so thoroughly detested a soldier’s life as I do now; and the short, happy week, which passed as a day, that I spent at Home, was so full of joy, that on reaching camp I felt as if I had suddenly been reduced from the ease & beauty & splendor & luxury of wealth, to the very dregs of poverty. The snow here was about 8 – 10 inches deep, & the [?]

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raised the [James] river to an unusual height. It flood- ed the low-ground more than I have ever seen; and the great quantity of ducks & muskrats, which came out went to the hills, afforded ex- cellent sport for a good many of the soldiers, who boated over and around the flats killing a good many. I have been promising myself some sport, as soon as the river goes down, fishing, but Col[onel] Maury published an order yes- terday restricting all the soldiers at the Bluff to camp limits, which extends about 3/4 mile around head-quarters. This was because the beautiful spring weather had entised the men to wander about too much, & now we al- ways have to get a pass signed by our Capt[ain] & Col[onel] Maury when we wish to go over that distance from camp. He had published at the same time, two other orders – one prohibiting the men from burning wood except during rainy & cold weather and for cooking purposes - & one requiring the officers & men to address each other, always, on duty, the officers by their titles & the men by their sir-names, thus Booker, Watkins, Davis, Tamy etc. etc. He has also issued an order allowing the different companies at this post to cultivate gardens, and I hope very much he will com- pel all the companies & messes to do this. Unless the whole company join in, it will be useless for one mess to undertake it, as it will be necessary to guard them constantly and one or two messes cannot do this. I will sow some tomato-seed to-morrow, & hope you will send me some seed in my box – tomato, cucumber, [cyneline?,] beat, cabbage, lettuce & any other which you may have & which you may think suitable – Some turnip seed for “greens” may be good -also some of the seed of the little musk- melon we used to raise, & some watermelon seed. Col[onel] Maury is much stricter than old Col[onel] Page was, but I do not object to this, only I fear he sometimes drinks too much & then is foolishly so. I do not know this to be a fact, but am inclined to believe it. His idea about a garden is a fine one, as it will not only afford fresh vegetables for the men, but useful occupation & good exer- cise which we need very much, especially when confined so closely to camp limits. (Sunday evening) We went to the Bluff as usu- al this morning for inspection – and several of us then got horses to go to the Chapel of

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the 4th Reg[imen]t (Col[onel] Goode’s) to hear Henry A Wise Jr (son of old Gen[eral] Wise) preach. He preached a fine [underscored] sermon from 2d Corinthians Chapt[er] 5 v[erse] 17. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” It was a most excellent as well as a beautiful sermon. I was struck with the moral difference between father & son [?] [struck-through] (very much alike in outward appearance) as the old man came in, a gray haired sinner, when his young, almost beardless son has half-fin- ished his good sermon. They have a large, good Chapel in the 4th R[e]g[imen]t & an efficient chaplain, an Episcopal Minister, named Roberts. Col[one] Goode[‘s] wife, & little Jennie was there. Little Jennie running among the soldiers & appeared to be a [great?] pet, & knowing a good many of them. I asked her how old she was, & she said 4 years. I thought of my little Charley, & thought however much I might wish to be with him, I should [not?] [struck-through] not be willing to have him here to stay any length of time. How do he & Minnie behave now? I think it was very natural for them to be spoiled while you were sick so long, but you really must, now you are well e- nough to do it, put a stop to it. It not only annoys you very much, & others around them, but keeps them all the time unhappy themselves. Joe H. got a letter yesterday from Mollie, say- ing it was reported in Farmville that Henry Edmunds was mortally wounded in the cav- alry fight at Kelly’s Ford, above Fredericksburg. As Dr. Henry Wood brought the report people were inclined to disbelieve it, but I fear very much it may be true. If so, what an affliction it will be to Brother’s family. Henry you know is the only son, and was a young man of so much promise. How many of the best of our young men have been sacrificed in this un- holy war. Oh, when will it stop. It is heart- sickening to think of it. – I will finish read- ing this evening the 16th chapt[er] of John, reading as you proposed we should – two chapt[er]s every week day & four Sundays. I like this plan of reading together very much, & thank you for suggesting it. I frequently think while reading that probably now you are reading the same chapt[er] & may be the same verse with me. Write me at what time you generally read. I also often wonder if Aunts Nancy & [Fannie?] & you keep up the concerted prayers at Sun-down for our mess. Maybe this is why our mess have been so signally blessed, & so few of us have even been sick. I think I would feel better if

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I knew that this agreement has not been discon- tinued, & you still think of me every evening in your prayers, just as the sun goes down. I am getting right impatient to get a letter from you – it is now a week nearly since I left you, & is full time for you to have written; & a letter to come. As we look for Sam (or rather Graham according to Col[onel] Maury’s or- der) to-night, or to-morrow morning, I will then certainly get a letter from some of you, or will at least hear from you. I am so sorry that Sam’s furlough was so short, & he couldn’t stay longer. Be sure & make the girls write as they commenced before I came home. Tell Sis[ter] Martha I wish she could again imagine that peace would be declared in a few days. Mildred & Sue’s diary was very interesting to me, & I look anxiously for the arrival of another sheet. Regret very much I couldn’t see the girls more – I love them all just as my own sisters, and feel fully as much interested in them. We are getting on very pleasantly in our mess now. though we are a little crowded, & hence some few inconveniences, I think it best that things should be as they are. The softest & [easiest?] places, & most pleasant ones are not always the right places for us to be in. Government fare gets gradually poorer, or at least I imagine so. Aunt Mary & Geo[rge] Tamy have started off boxes for us & we are ex- pecting them soon, but this need not delay those you intend sending. Be sure & send my “Staunton’s Chess Manuel,” if you can get it from home – Get Cousin Martha Morton to make two straw hats just the size of mine, & send them with mine as soon as you can get them. I wish to give one to Jim Davis, & one to Perkins – do this if you possibly can. Write all about my matters – what they have down with my sheep, & If I have any [?] hides for the Tanner. Did Tom C[arington] make a payment? I wrote to Mr. Geo[rge] Redd as soon as I reached camp to send your Pa the necessary papers. If he hasn’t done it – tell your Pa to deposit the $4000 in Bank & send a check to Mr. Geo[rge] Redd, Prince Edward C[ourt] H[ouse] and ask him to pay off his brother’s bond & send it to him, & if any money is left to pay it to James [?], or to Ma or Pattie if they want it. Much love to your Ma & all – Many kisses to you & the children and may God bless you my precious one. – Your devoted husband N[athaniel] V. W[atkins]