Oct. 28th Brunswick
My dearest wife,
I arrived here safely at 12 o'clock last night. The cars had no one on board except myself. Oh! how I did wish you had been with. The ride was so long and lonely. I leave here in a few minutes on board the Steamer Chatham [1] she will take our company to the south end of ……
You must be sure to come down to St. Marys on Sat. - I will meet you there. I hope darling you will forgive me for not writing you by the return train this morning. I was so tired and sleepy that I did not wake up till after the cars had left. I was very much mortified when I found the cars had left and I had not filled my promise. You must direct your letters to Fernandina and be sure to write often to your own dear boy.
Well darling please excuse this short letter as I have not time to write another give love to all, and believe me ever your own affectionate boy,
Nate A. Brown
[1] Steamer - Wikipediea: A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is an ocean faring seaworthy vessel that is propelled by one or more steam engines.
Steamboats during the Civil War won little glamour but played a critical role. With rivers serving as the lifeblood of the Confederacy, steamboats permitted the rapid movement of heavy cargo up and down the waterways.
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6437