William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
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Your good long letter of six pages (May 27th) is this moment recd, and I hasten
to answer, although I have just come off Battallion drill and am tired and
dusty. I am so glad you are so much better, and Ferdie also. I am glad you took
a good ride up to Montpelier and enjoyed it. is Fisher going to marry Frane
Moorly? I never could bear him. Now as to the what and
when we are going when this cruel was is over, I
hardly know how to answer you. I have had an idea for some time, that if we
worked along and kept in the Army Corps for the defences of Washington, that
after a while the heavy fighting would be over and we should camp some where in
the vicinity and spend the last part of our term of three years very quietly,
and then I was gong to fix me up a nice little
home and have you and
the children all down here and stay as long as I stay and keep house and have a
grand time, this has been my hope, and some how I have thought I could make
permanent arrangements to this effect this fall. I am glad we are a three years Regt. and when we begin to have
peace we shall be one of the few Regts. left to keep things quiet for
a time, for I believe we shall have to serve out our three years so much for two
years and a half to come after that every thing will be in such different shape
to what it was before the war, that I confess I am puzzled to make any kind of a
calculation what I want to do then. And on the whole it
is about as well I think to let things work and wait and see. I want to keep my
means in such shape that I can use them when I want
them. I may get wounded or disabled or something of that sort, and live on a
pension or get
some Govt. or military office or some thing else -
finally I see I leave off when I commenced - I don’t know anything about it. Let
us get together this fall if possible and live here in camp while I stay - and
make the best of it. I can fix up and keep you and the children here as cheap as
I could board you in Vt if we were permanently located, and I know I could make
it pleasant for you and you would be contented and happy And oh! you precious
one how I should enjoy it. I sent you by last mail fifty dollars - write as soon
as you receive it. Mrs. Davis died this morning and her husband has gone home
with the body. all well - no news - the Rebs it seems have not "gobbled" us up
yet I wrote our dear sister Katie a few days ago, to know if she would accept a
present from me and wear it. I was going to get her a "bosom pin" Aint that
good?
Write often- As Ever William