Dark Entry
Sept. 19th
My dearest wife,
I received the fruit you sent me by Mr. Tison and the darling letter which I could not read. All the fruit rotted and ruined the clothes and defaced the letter so much I could not read it. I did not mind the loss of the fruit but the letter I valued more than all. I have been very anxious and am always anxious to hear from my precious wife, and to have a letter and not be able to read it is awful. You must write me another right away to make up for it. I was just as thankful for the fruit as if it had been good. I will send you fifty dollars by Henry to pay your expenses home. I would have sent more but the government won't pay out any money yet awhile and fifty is all I had. If you have not money enough to get the pantaloons I wrote for and to pay your expenses home you need not get them. Henry leaves today for Marietta but says he will stop a few days in Greensboro, so you need not look for him in a week. If you have the money to spare please get me half dozen pr. socks but if you haven't a plenty to spare don't get anything I write for. Oh! darling you don't know how very anxious I am for you to return to me; I don't think I have seen one happy minute since I left Marietta unless it was when dreaming of you and my darling Eula. If fifty dollars is not enough to pay your way home you must let me know right away and I will instruct Mr. Hardee to remit you by mail as much as you want. I don't want you to allow yourself to get out of money, as I know the feelings of one who is absent from home and short of friends. Excuse this short letter as paper is very scarce. Kiss my dear little one for papa and my precious love. Write very often to
Your devoted husband, Nate.