Marietta. July 9th
My own darling precious loved one,
Since I last wrote you, Eula and I have been down to Atlanta to consult an eminent homeopathic Physician [1] about my side, and her 'ambilicus' (navel). He made an examination, and pronounced my liver very much out of order, and said my spine was affected, gave me some medicine to last for fifteen days but said I must write in six days to my friend Mrs. Pope (at whose house I stayed while in Atlanta) and let him know how I was or rather how I am getting along. Dr. Cleaveland was highly recommended to me by the Ladies that I wrote you about at the Kenesaw house; Mr. Gen. Duff Greene, and Mrs. McNeel, both have been much benefited by him, and then you know my aversion to taking medicine, I knew that the Homeopathic style was much more agreeable to the taste, I mean in taking physic. So I accordingly payed Mrs. Pope a visit of a day and a night, that is, I left here on the two o'clock train and remained until seven o'clock the next evening. Met Fannie, Rosa, and Witter at the depot, so had company back home.
I had a delightful visit at Mrs. Pope's - eat like a plow man, for I actually have not seen anything (until then) but old tough beef since I left home. So you can imagine how I made the delightful fryed chicken and splendid ham, and nice biscuit, rolls and cakes fly, yes they actually flew down my throat. It is impossible for me to fatten up here without anything to eat and tis the hardest thing imaginable to get anything for love, or money. I did succeed day before yesterday in getting three little chickens the size of a bird at 30 cents apiece, but that is much cheaper than they are selling for in Atlanta, there people have to give 65 cents for chickens.
Now darling can't you get a barrel of flour and send some up here for me? I expect as you are a soldier they will let you have it cheaper; if they say they only will let you have it for yourself, tell them I am a part of yourself, and darling I actually need it for I am poor and need something to fatten me, I am tired of rice bread, and pa can't afford at the price they charge up here to have wheat bread every day. He says he won't charge me any board as the fare is so poor that is one reason I ought to get the flour. Lillie will charge rent for my room, she would not charge anything, but is oblige to, as she has such a large rent to pay for the house. I will of course have to pay for what Mary Ann, Eula's nurse, eats. Flour up here is $20 per barrel. Now you must let me know for how much you can get it there, so I can see if it would pay to bring it.
I asked Dr. Cleaveland if I would be running a risk by going down the country in August, he told me it depended very much on the weather, said if the weather was as it is now, it would be running a great risk. And darling are you willing for Eula and I to risk our lives anyhow? If it is so warm up here, now, what must it be down there? I know it is a hard thing for us to be separated but if it is for our good, we must bear with it a little longer. You will soon be up here with us won't you dearest? and will come to remain a month I hope, trust, and pray. Then it won't be but one more month before we are united forever I trust. If I did go down with you next month I would rather board at Mrs. Wiggins than at Jasper's a great deal rather. Mrs. Wiggins and Joe would be much more company for me than Mr. Guarry Lang and then Mrs. W. would be so much nearer where your company is stationed when in Waynesville. But I suppose you would not dream of having me come while there is any risk, as I have come up here to regain my health and that won't be allowing me long enough to try the cooler climate. We will however see what a month will bring forth. I may be cured by that time and the weather may be all right. No one knows what a day may bring forth. I hope the war will be over long before that time.
I tryed very hard while in Atlanta to have the baby's daguerreotype [2] taken for you, even stripped all of clothes (but her little shirt) off, and she did look so cunning and sweetly, but alas! was such a frisk we could not get her to stand still one second, so after trying several times had to give up the idea. Mine looked so poor I made the man rub it out. I will wait until I fatten before I try it again.
Your loving,
Loulie.
Eula sends a sweet kiss to papa, her darling papa.
P.S. I hope Henry and Miss Josie have made matters all straight so straight that Brother 'Camble' won't make it crooked again. I saw Mr. Frank McDonald yesterday, he enquired after you, has a large bile on his arm so can't put on a coat. What do you think -- Mrs. Choen loves you yet. I sent the baby around to see Jesse and the old Lady like to have eat her up. Told Eula she came to see her best friend meaning herself. She wants you to look after her property down there. Your own
Wife.
[1] homeopathic Physician - ' The history of Homeopathy begins with its founder, Samuel Hahnemann……Hahnemann coined the term homoeopathy, from the Greek words homois meaning similar and pathos meaning disease. The word homoeopathic first appeared in print in an article he published in 1807. …. The principle of similia similibus, first set forth in his essay of 1796 was now expanded to similia similibus curentur, — let likes be treated by likes — the core principle of homeopathy….. Homeopathy came to America via Dr. Hans Burch Gram. Dr. Gram was a student of Dr. Lund, a Danish student of Hahnemann. Gram opened the first homeopathic practice in America, in New York City, in 1825…. Dr. I. Tilsdale Talbot founded the New England Female Medical College of Massachusetts in 1848. This homeopathic institution later merged with Boston University, which continued to teach homeopathic medicine well into the twentieth century.'
http://www.drmasiello.com/homeopathy/history-of-homeopathy/
[2] daguerreotype -' Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre invented the daguerreotype in 1839. Within a few years, daguerreotype studios appeared in United States cities and the popularity of the medium grew through The 1850s. Daguerreotypes were popularly and primarily used for portraits. Unlike most photographs today, in which images are printed from transparent negatives onto paper, the daguerreotype was a polished copper plate upon which an image was directly exposed. No negative used in the process and so each daguerreotype was a unique, one-of-a-kind object. ….the required exposure time ranged from a few seconds to many minutes.'
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/daguerreotype/history.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype