July 20, 1862
New Orleans, La. July 20th, 1862
My Dear Wife Lizzie,
According to my promise, I write you a long letter in trying to repay you for the 3 last letters. It is now Saturday morning, 9 o'clock, and I am lonesome. This letter I intend to go down to the W.S. Barracks this afternoon if nothinq happens, and if I do, I will give you a history of the same. It is quite cool and comfortable today. I only wish I was at home today to enjoy the day with you. I would be happy. I know I would. oh, dear wife, how much I do long to see you.
You mentioned that you did not know but I would get tired of the call... My dear husband, do come home. I do not get tired nor never shall, I know. I know I ought to come home. I ought to before. I had not ought to have stayed half as long as I have. I will come in a few days. only 10 days more and I will start for the most sacred spot on Earth.. home, dear home, and I hope never to leave it again so lonq. You must not let me You can keep me.
Lizzie, I just got through reading over your 3 letters which I last re-ceived. What good letters, the best I ever had from you I think. I think so every time I receive one from you. You want to know if I will not go with you and make a visit with you to pay you for staying home so long. I certainly will go anywhere you wish to go and stay as long as you wish. We shall have a good time a visiting when I arrive home. You get all ready and we will take the Grand Rounds (as Officers say). I anticipate a very fine time. How I long to come home. How much I wish I could be there today. I could enjoy myself, I know I could. The time will soon come when I can realize the pleasure of the best of home and you know what makes that home dear to me. What would my home now be to me if it were not for you. I should today be a soldier in US Army, but it cannot be now. I have some-body to care for me and someone to care for. You were right to think that your letters will bring me home if anybody's will, and that's what makes me come to my Dear Wife at home. I am glad that Father and Mother have been up to see you. I hope they will come to see you more often than they have, although they are homebodies and they hardly go out of sight of the house, but you and I will do different when we get to be married folks (no,no, I want to plague a little. I know how to plague don't I, as you say about shucks (Walnut Shucks). Enough now. Call me Old Ugly as well.
You spoke about the pleasant home of Harriet LaPlace. I know that you and I will have one as soon as I can find a settled place for business, a good and pleasant a home as any couple on Earth. I know it to be so. Every word and look from you tells me it is so. Yes dear one, I know it, and I knew it from the first. It was fine ordained, if there is any such thing, that you and myself should live together and enjoy ourselves. I am sure that it is so and it will not be long before we will commence our happiness together. I will be home soon.
The letter that I received of the 8th of July was the latest received by anyone. The Steamer left the morning of the 9th. It is now near dinner time. I write a little and then stop and read. I am having a good rest today and have decided not to go down to the old US Barracks. There is some talk of our moving out (our Regiment) to the US Marine Hospital for 2 weeks. I do not know. It is a very fine spot and about 1 1/2 miles from the city. I hope we will. It will be better for our trade to go out there. We are agoing to have for dinner real good pickles (don't you want some? Yes, take me with you) Oyster Stew, coffee, bread & chicken roasted. Do come sit right down by my side and eat off my plate. How good it would seem wouldn't it, my dear. I knew you would say yes. Wouldn't I like to be home today and get one of Mother's good dinners. I tell you, it would be worth a whole farm. I would like some good Irish potatoes for dinner, but they cost too much, 10 cents per lb. They ask now Lizzie. You send me a loaf of Sponge Cake. No, I will be home and you have a loaf made, that's it, that will suit both of us better. I want to come home and have Bell pick me some whortleberries. They would taste a good deal better if Bell should pick them because she would laugh when she came home with them if I was there. Ask her if she remembers she came in the Parlor barefooted and her dress all torn and I laughed at her. Does she scowl with her nose just like PK? Now goodbye until after dinner.
Henry
Lizzie,
It is now 2 o'clock and I am through dinner. I am feeling well although I have some cold. Last night when C came home, he wake me up to let him in. It was 12 o'clock (midnight). He had been uptown on business - you know what. I got up and let him in and I returned to my bed and did not get to sleep. As I was about going to sleep, I heard the cry of fire, fire. I did not mind it at first, but very soon I heard 4 or 5 engines go by double quick. One say fire Canal Street. I then jumped up and raised the window. I saw it was but a short distance above us. About 2 o'clock it was a large. fire. I watched it about 1/2 hours more and then it commenced to go out. It did considerable damage. In watching the fire I took my cold. It is one of my old head colds, although one thing favorable. I have now little of it which makes it much more pleasant. It is very quiet here today. It seems like a Sunday in Connecticut. You can hear the rumbling of the car-riages over the pavement. Oh dear, it is so lonesome here today. It is just the same as being alone. No one to have a good talk with. If I was only home, couldn't I have a good talk. I'm thinking so. This letter will go by the Steamer "McKenzie" or "Parkensburg". I do not know as the "Parkensburg" will take mail as she did not bring one. She came from Philadelphia. The "McKenzie" will leave early this week. Understand Col. Arige is coming here tomorrow and I am agoing to see if I can get a pass to go home on the next Steamer.
The news about town is quiet. The Louisiana Brigade, which they are raising, goes slow they say. They have so many reports around town you can't believe half you hear and the so-called Union men vary as the reports vary. I will now stop for a while and read. I write you every night a let-ter more to fill up the sheet. It is hard work for me to write letters lately. Somehow I think so much about coming home. I have not been out of the building but once today and then I stepped on the sidewalk about 5 minutes to see the Dept. Parade. I've been thinking of home all day and I only wish I was there to stay the rest of my life. I would be satis-fied. I now look at your tintype. How natural it looks. It looks exactly like you. That tintype has done me more good than any one thing else since I left, letters exception. Now, dear wife, I will close and write you again tomorrow eve. Do not worry so about me. Do take good care of yourself and grow fat on thinking that I will be soon home. Do not, for my sake, grow poor as you write, but the opposite (don't eat any berries). I must retire and will send my love to all. I wish you would come down here and come home with me. I think of the long and lonely passage home. I wish the river was open. I could go quick then, but I will content myself with staying here until I start, and then as now with the thought of coming home and seeing you.
With all the love of your husband.
Henry
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