Dark Entry
Aug. 24th, 62
My darling wife,
I arrived here safely on day before yesterday and write to you by the first opportunity. I did not get to Thomas as I expected. When I got to Savannah I found that our Company payrolls were made out wrong and I had to hurry back to camp to have them corrected so as the men could draw their money. I have succeeded in getting a horse down here. She is quite a pretty animal. She cost me three hundred dollars. It is a big price for a horse but it was the best I could do. I staid all night with Aunt Cox and Witter. She appeared very glad to see me, and is very anxious to have you come down and stay with her. I told her that so far as I was concerned I had no objection to your coming if you desired to come, but as you were in the upcountry I thought it best for you to stay until frost as I was desirous for your getting the full benefit of the upcountry climate if there was any virtue in it. The weather down here is quite cool as much so as it was when I left Marietta. I have never known it more healthy down here than at present. There is no sickness at all down here that I have heard of. Witter has joined Capt. Hargree's (?) Company at last, to get rid of the conscripts. You have no idea
my darling wife how much I want to see you and my dear sweet little Eula. My visit to Marietta has spoilt me. I know I want to see you and Eula even more than I did before I went up. It has completely spoiled me; I haven't gone to sleep a single night since I left you until after twelve o'clock. I think over all that we said and did and it seems a happy dream. Oh! how I do wish this cruel war would come to a close. When my thoughts go back to the past and I see the happiness I experienced and then compare it with my present condition, I feel like I would give all that I had just to kill old Linkhorn and his desciple Steward [1]. Enclosed I send you the two five cent shin plasters sent to Cornelia; one of them won't pass out of Marietta. Your letter to Mrs. Royal I have mailed and hope it will reach its place of destination in safety. I expect our Company will move up to Waynesville in a week or so, and Capt. Wiggins' will take its place. I received a letter from Henry Copeland on yesterday; he says that he and Father will be down shortly to kill some beef for the Negroes. All are well out there. You must give a great deal of love to all: your father, mother, Mary, Lilly, Rosa and Fanny, and just say to Rosa I am very sorry she behaved so naughty towards me in not allowing me the great pleasure of joining her to some good fellow that was tired of living by himself. I was very much disappointed in not being able to go out to Thomas. I wanted very much to see after our affairs out there, as well as see Father and Mother, however I hope some of these days when you come down to be able to make them a visit and carry you and Eula out with me. Mother says they are very anxious to see you and the baby. You must write very often dear wife to me as it goes quite as hard with me as it does with you when I don't hear often from you. Goodbye my darling, kiss my precious baby for papa. Your own dear
Nate.
[1] Nate maybe referring to Lincoln's Secretary of State, Seward