William Wirt Henry to Mary Jane Henry
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I have thought the matter all over, and weighed the difficulties and have come to
the conclusion that now is the best time you will ever
have to come out and see the Grand Army. Col Jewett and
myself have been talking about it for several days and to day we agreed “it was best” and have sent up to Army Hd. Qurs. for
“permission for our wives to visit the Army of the
Patomac”. The “permission” will probably get back by tomorrow night and I will
then forward yours to you. Capt Platt’s, Capt Salesbury, Chaplain Haines, are
going to send for theirs, or have sent. Maj Chandler is home and going to bring
his back with him. Lt Davis of Burlington will start for home tomorrow morning
and will bring his wife back with him. We have not decided yet
who
you better come back with. Lt Hicks of Burlington is home and will be coming
back in a few days. we agreed to settle which one when the “permission” is sent
(probably by day after tomorrow), but I was up to Brandy Station yesterday and
saw Ed Wells, and he told me Martha was arriving back with Major “Wid” and
probably they would start about the 2nd of Feb. I suppose you would like it
better and feel more at home with him and Martha than you would with strangers,
and if you get the “papers” in time I think you better come with them. You might
see the Major and see when he is going to start and what he says about it. Or
perhaps Mr Parker has made up his mind to come, and you could come with him. I
will write you more about it next time. You will want about 30 dollars to start
with, and I can get what you will want
to go back with, if you have
not got enough, you can get it at the Bank or Shop. You spoke when I was home
about Charlie coming out with you if you ever came. there is one serious
dificulty about that, it is very hard to get permission for any one to get down
here from Washington, unless upon very important
business. And again Charlie is so liable to be sick with camp fever and
it goes very hard with those that are not climated; for the same reason I should
not want you to fetch my darling little Mollie although I want to see her so bad. I expect Bert Taylor is dead by this time by what
Ed Wells told me. You will want to bring my trunk to pack your things in. You
will want to bring as many as three dresses and them your best
ones – with what under clothes you want and I expect we shall keep
you all here until some time in March unless we get an order to send you away
before. Johnny says put in a ball of
woollen yarn to mend stockings
with. You must make a bargain with Mother and Ella to take care of the children
and I will make them both a good present next pay day if they take good care of them. Now darling you must just pack up and be
ready and do not say no. Or you aint ready, or you cant leave the children or
any thing else, for I want you to come and not fail for it will be the last
chance you will have to see the Army, besides I am lonesome and want you. I have got such a nice Log cabin, and we will
have such a grand time. Johnny has got him a little cabin just back of mine, so
we shall be all alone, and can do as we please. Genl. Morris has got his sister
here, and they live close by. Surgeon Child’s wife is here now, and boards in
our mess The Chaplain has got a very good Log Cabin Meeting house, and we have
got a Band,
so we can have a little dance if we like on our own
account, and we are making calculations to make it as pleasant as possible for
you all. Martha will be about two miles from us and we can go and visit her once
in a while, and my good old horse “Old Dun” is as safe to ride as old “Nig”
would be, and on the whole I anticipate a good time, and never mind the expence. Our grand “3rd Corps” dance was a failure as far
as I was concerned. There was three Band’s Two Major Genl. and four Brig’s and
about four hundred other officers to about forty ladies I did not get the first chance to dance
although I made out to get three engagements, but they all failed me when the
time came. Enclosed I send you the Ticket, which we think was got up very nice.
It was this failure to have a decent time there that made us come to the
conclusion
that if we went to another dance or party we would have
some women there that we were acquainted with. I shall write again by day after
tomorrow, and will let you know then if any new arrangement is made. I wish you
was here this minute for now I have got to thinking about
your coming I cannot wait. The mud has dried up some now
and it is as warm and pleasant as June in Vt. What a joke it would be if Old
Genl. French should refuse to give me permission for you
to come – but he wont.
As everWilliam