# 6
Thorn Hall
Aug. 5, 1861
My own, darling, precious husband,
We seem doom to be disappointed about getting to the Island. I left home this morning with the intention of going to you on Saturday but alas! the outrageous Linconites have again interfaired with my happiness. Pa thinks it would be running a great risk for us to go on, while they are expecting an attack in Brunswick every day. You know they took up two spies there yesterday and sent them to Sav.
I am very glad to hear that you have got your cannons and hope your men will not rest day or night until they are mounted. I suppose you are quite busy?
Darling precious one, would you have me come to you? Or must I wait until you write me that sweet word come? Would to heavens I could come now and be with my sweet boy, always, but I am afraid if I were to undertake it, that they might take me prisoner and carry me to visit Washington and you know darling I do not care to go there, without you and until Eula [1] is old enough to enjoy the visit.
And if I do get to the Island, it may prevent my love from attending to his duties and from fighting for his country, and that would never never do. No gracious, we will have to bear with our fate, and trust in God. Be of good cheer and neglect not your duty.
Please, please write me just as soon as you possibly can, if it is only a few lines to let me know if you reached the Island in safety. It is an awful thing to be where I can not hear from my only boy. So if there is any possible way of your writing please do it quickly, for my heart yearns to see you or something from Nate.
Those little negroes that you left sick have been quite ill. I sent for Dr. Boroughs to see them yesterday, but they were so much better that your mother told him he need not come again unless sent for.
They much, much better this morning when I left. Mr. Reddick has been down with fever and so has Simon. Your brother has not return yet, he left on Saturday with Dave Baily, and the people at home have not heard from him yet. Mr. David and Mr. Isaac Lang [2] have both been down with fever but I met the latter this morning, he was much better and told me that his family were quite well. Your mother and father keep well and she told me to kiss Nate for her, but I fear that it will be a long time before I will have that pleasure.
Henry expects to leave for Liberty this evening and I will accompany him as far as Mrs. Wiggins where we will meet Joe. Oh! how I wish you could be with us. Please let me know when you think it will be safe for me to come. You must let Mr. Jim Taylor [3] come home as soon as he can leave to see his wife. She thinks he never intends coming, as all of the other men have been but him. His family are tollorably well. But Jake Clarke's [4] wife continues quite sick, spits blood so Mrs. Jocolin says. I believe all of the other soldiers wives keep well.
When you are eating your nice fish and oysters think of you poor little wife.
Now precious, sweet boy good bye. May heaven shield and protect you from all danger is the prayer of
Your own dear
Loulie.
I trust you may get this as you can't see your true little
Pet Loulie.
[1] Eula- a N.B. added to one of the letters written in 1861 states that 'Eula was not born until March after this letter was written, so you see the messages sent from Eula were really from her Mother. The name 'Eula' was selected before her birth. Mrs. Dunwody (Eula Brown Dunwody?)
Since Eula was born in March 1862, on the date of this letter, August 5 1861, Louisa would have been only about 2 months pregnant, and she and Nate could not have known the sex of the baby. They may have used some indications promoted by old wives tales to guess the sex.)
From information on the web, ., short form of Eulalia, is from Greek, meaning 'sweet-spoken', a girl's name popular in the mid-19th century to the first part of the 20th century)
[2] Isaac Lang was the son of Nancy Atkinson and William Lang, who married in 1820 and settled at Cambray, near Satilla Bluff, where they resided as long as they lived. William Lang died in 1826. Nancy remained a widow and managed her estate with great success and became very wealthy, and died in 1876. She had three children, Isaac, Catherine and Isabella. David Lang may have been Isaac's son.
[3] Jim Taylor - from the on-line Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865: James D. Taylor was a private in the company on Aug 5 1861, mustered out May 10, 1862, Enlisted as a private in Co. C., 4th Regt Ga. Cavalry (Clinch's) May 21, 1862, Deserted at Fort Pulaski, Ga. Aug. 20, 1864
[4] Jake Clark - from the on-line Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865: Jacob N. Clark was a private in the company on Aug 5 1861, mustered out May 10, 1862, Enlisted as a private in Co. C., 4th Regt Ga. Cavalry (Clinch's) May 21, 1862, Roll for June 30, 1864 last on file shows present.