Browse All Letters (392 total)

Fort Hamilton Xmas 62 My dear Wife: I dont when I have spent a more dull and mopy Xmas. I got my dinner at Mrs *Marks's* being invited by Capt. Putnam. There were but three at the table, no 3 being *Lt Kineman*. The dinner was pretty fair, only the turkey had a slight gamesome flavor that you would not have enjoyed. The rest of the day I spent at…

[1862] Fort Hamilton Dec. 23. This is pretty near Xmas, my dear, but I afraid it wont bring much fun for either of us this year. I don't know but I may go up to the city then and on New Years day to see how they do things in Gotham, but I am not certain that I shall do so much even as that. Your note reached me yesterday, but as you have not…

Dec. 18. 1862 Dear Augusta: It is now very near fifteen o'clock, but as I am not sleepy I propose to scribble till I am. This is the marriage anniversary of Capt. Lay, and I have spent the evening with them, that is till one o'clock. Mrs. McE. was there, her husband and Piper. We talked, ate hickory nuts, drank cider and played cards until the…

Sunday Dec 15th /62 My dear wife: I dont think you can complain of my not writing often enough; but I believe you will gladly take the trouble to read & I do to write them. So here goes for another! The other day Mrs G. sent a beef-steak, enclosed in a note, I believe to Col B. and asked him to send to Dr *Owens* in the *Inf*. He wrote back…

Dear Sella: Mother tells me you have a cough. I hope you will soon get well so you go to school. When you do, you must do whatever the teacher tells you to do and you must learn all your lessons and learn them well. Little Bob that you used to play with so much has gone away, He joined the Artillery and went away with Capt. Arnold and Lt.…

Ft H. Dec 11 1862 My dear *Duck*: Speaking of ouch, I am very full of it, having just *arisen* from the dinner-table on which was a fat + nicely cooked a duck as it is given us to sit down before in the world. I ordered a pair of *Harley* since you left, which I find put down in the bill at $1.50. I had bought our pair for $1 and another for .84…

For Hamilton Dec. 8 1862 Dear Wife: I have heard nothing from you since your letter of the 30th, which was rec'd on Wednesday. I hoped to get a letter this morning but it did not come; now I hope to get one by the mail to-night & trust that I shall not be disappointed. No news is said to be good news, if this is so, I suppose I may take it for…

Fort Hamilton Dec 6th 1812 Dear Wife: It is past four o' clock and a dark rainy afternoon, so dark that I can't read what I write. But having been in the city yesterday and acquired while there a realizing *decider* of the value of paper, I thought I'd see what I could do in the way of economizing it. This sheet is my first effort and I want you…

Fort Hamilton Dec 3. 1862 Dear Augusta: Yours of the 30th came finally to hand this morning. I wrote you on the 26th and on the 30th; both letters I hope have reached you by this time. In my last I explained why my second letter would probably be delayed, - but you should have got it by Monday at farthest. I sent it to the office on the morning of…

[1] Fort Hamilton Nov 29. 1862 My dear Wife: Yours of the 26th reached me this morning to my great gratification. I fear mine of the same date did not reach you to-day, because our old post master didn't see fit to send away a mail on Thanksgiving afternoon. I suppose you will get it in the morning, and so have something to read on Sunday. I am…