Nov. 18, 1862 My Dear wife this will inform you that I am well hoping this may reach you & find you & your charge all well & will inform you that we have moved again. We are in 5 miles of Winchester above. We will commence to built huts to winter but I dont think we will stay here long. I think we will go on down below Petersburg, but cant tell where. I received a letter from you last night. I was very glad to hear from you as I have not got a letter from you in 4 weeks, last one was about 23rd of Oct. I am very sorry to hear that you are worried. Why will you distress yourself so much when you know that my God will take care of me. Put your trust in Him because He will take care of you. My dear you cant be more anxious for me to come home than I am to come myself. You said that you had got the order I sent you but you did not say whether Brady had paid that order or not. Im no more as wise now as I was before. You said the taxes were not paid. I cant help that. I will send you the money as soon as I get it. The government has not paid us in 6 months & dont know when they will, but they keep talking about it. I will send it as soon as I can. I will suffer on. I am nearly naked. I have one shirt that Ive worn for 4 weeks without washing. Socks I have none, I have 2 pair of drawers such as they are. I have a good coat & pants but the weather is so cold up here. My dear we had a long snow up here it commenced the 6th & slacked the 8th & was very deep. It is raining & has been for several days. I am sitting under a little tent that I got from the Yankees at Harpers Ferry. I tote it on my back. I have one blanket to lie on & it has got several bullet holes in it. I had it tied on my back when I was wounded. My head is not well yet, it runs corruption of a morning. It dont hurt me much. You must write me a long letter & give me the particulars about Sophia coming out & about what Betsy was doing there. Do write soon & give me all the news in the neighborhood, for you dont know how much pleasure it is to hear from a dear wife that I dearly love when I am so far away. Give my love to my poor little children & accept 10,000 kisses for yourself. I remain your poor, ragged, lousey husband. John E. Collins (of Marion SC). PS: Kiss Lou for me & do write soon & often as Im getting all the letters sent to me lately. I send you 2 post stamps they are all I have to send. I lost my napsack & all the things inside. Good bye. Direct your letters to John E. Collins 1st SC Rifles, Greggs Brigade, A.P. Hills division.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 01:33:04 +0000