Camp Heintzelman near PoolvilleJune 7th 1863My dear Wife.

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I received your letter last evening dated June 3d. It was a most welcome visitor I can assure you. I had almost began to despair of hearing from you. Post after Post came in and no letter for me, it began to look a little lonely I can assure you. But such a letter as your last nearly compensates for the long waiting.

It seems you have not got into your new house yet. You cannot imagine the anxiety I feel about your getting into it, every time I think of you I want to feel that you are there. My heart palpitates like an expectant school boy at the thought of the comfort you will take in a home of your own. [    ] if I am spared to return how much comfort we all may take there together. The very day you move in you must write me a letter.

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I am glad that you had such a pleasant visit with your friends. I cant bring myself to feel very friendly towards those two girls. I know it is not in accordance with religious teachings but it certainly is with human ration. But we wont make ourselves feel unpleasantly thinking of unpleasant things. You say that you visited Eugene, did he say any thing about receiving any money from me? I have had no answer from him. It makes me feel glad to know that you can find some source of enjoyment visiting with our friends. I make my duties my chief source of pleasure. I spend an evening occasionally with Dr Childe and his very pleasant wife. Sunday evenings in particular, I am going to spend this evening with them and Col Henry and Capt Frost to have a social sing. She is a splendid singer.

I suppose you hear occasionally of the 10th Vt being gobbled up but we aint yet though we stand the best chance of any in the defences of Washington, as we are the very extreme

outpost, and the river is fordable at most any point. We are obliged to throw out a double picket, and it is not safe to go back into the county 5 miles. But for all this or lay down at night as uncommonandly as if we were in our quiet homes. This fact shows how readily man will accomodate himself to circumstances.

I should like to have you send me the Papers Just subscribe for it and I will have it sent to me from the office which will make some differance in the postage. As to Coburns acct make no discount on it I have had trouble enough with his cases not to have him find fault with the act. You will find in his bill a charge of $2.00 for a surgical operation which he may not understand perhaps. But it was for castrating his Cat. I suspected he was playing upon me and I meant he should get as good as he sent. If he wants to know you can let him know through some of your friends.

You dont know what a relief it is to my mind

learn that Jacob is getting better. I like Dr R's perscription very well. No dont give him much medicine. I am glad that the other children are so well. I dont get your picture yet I tell you I dont think hardly fair. Tell Helen that I will write to her by the next mail if we are not gobbled up in the mean time. We are having aboundance of strawberries and Hackberries will be up in 3 weeks, and such blackberries as they have here is aston-ishing to us northerners. Have you done any-thing with your garden yet? You [        ] that Mrs Spafford that called to see me about her son, well that Son was on picket night before last, and heard some one coming, and he halted there on it and they did not halt, he fired and killed a-nb? No, a splendid 3 year old Bull shot him nearly through the heart. Co K has fresh beef. Capt Steele is doing first rate and is making a splendid officer. Give my love to the children, and my best regards to Mr Parker I ment to have written more but I have not [    ]. So accept this from

Your Ever affectionate HusbandJ.C. Rutherford