Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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Brattleboro, Vt.Aug. 15th, 1861.My Dear Wife:
I did not get a letter from you last night as I hoped. I feel anxious to hear from
you every day, and if you get this today I want you to write tomorrow as we shall not
probably start before Saturday if we do then. The mustering-out officer is at Fort
Trumbull, New London, Conn. or was yesterday and of course cannot get here before
tonight, if he does then. If he should come tonight we can get mustered out tomorrow
ready to start for home Sat. morning. They have commenced paying off the state dues
and will finish that today. The rolls are all signed and the officer when he gets
here will
have little to do besides pay the men & that will take but
five or six hours. Tho. I should say that the paymaster is here, and the money, about
$58,000. in gold came by express last night. If the
mustering out officer should not get here till tomorrow, we cannot get home before
Monday. I have stayed in camp every night so far intend to remain here all the time
if my health continues as good as it now is. I am tough as can be. My appetite is
good. I sleep well and enjoy myself as well as could be expected. There is a great
chance for the exercise of patience on the part of us both. I hope your strength will
continue to hold out as it has so far. Keep up the best of courage, I shall soon be
home & then you will have no such anxiety as you have had. How glad I shall be
when the next four weeks are
passed, if everything is favorable as I have
no doubt it will be. You never was so strong, and never went so long before and I
hope for the best. You must not go up and down stairs too much. Be careful every way.
We shall march up by the house and you will then have a chance to see our rusty
company. I wish you could be down in town, but upon the whole I think you had better
not go out.
It seems very foolish to make so much fuss over us, we have done so little. We have been out three months and have come back safe, and of course our friends are glad, but have not gained much glory. You of course see the papers and know that Col. Phelps is now Gen. Phelps. He is by far the best man they could find.
Give my love to Hattie, Zeke & all our friends.
Just as soon as we know when we are to leave here, we shall telegraph home. I shall write you every day that we remain here. Zeke will hear down in town whether there is any dispatch or not and can tell you when we are expected.
Keep up good courage
Your affectionate husbandRoswell Farnham