Brandy StationMar 29th 1864My dear Wife,

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I have just received yours dated the 25th and you may be assured that it gave me great relief to get it.

I have imagined all sorts of things, and yet I felt that all would be well, I had no [] of evil. There to see my dear daughters own hand writing gladdened my eyes and heart. May God in his goodness spare our little flock to us. I am so sorry that my little son is such a sufferer and the plague of Rheumatism too, but you must watch him carefully, and call in aid whenever you think he needs it.

I feel bad that I am not there with you to bear some of your trials, and were it not for the desire to get the means for paying for our home I would be with you. You may believe that the army is not a paradise, by no means.

Did Jacob get the paper I sent him? I hope he will be pleased with it. You must keep him quiet and not let him play out of doors. I hope that if Kitty has the whooping cough it will go light with her. Tell the dear children how much I want to see them.

I had supposed that Baker would have returned home before this. But I see when he was here that he was bound to have a time of it. You will have seen him before this reaches you, and got an account of me from him. Did Mr Butlers call and see you? I sent some letters by him to you. Did you read that article in the News of mine, and how did you like it? I have not seen that Officer, since as he was in Washington. He has returned and should have seen him to day but it has rained hard all day, and I did not care to ride in the rain. His camp

is about 4 miles from here. If it does not rain tomorrow I shall go and see him. Will it be my luck to make any thing of it? No. It makes me feel bad sometimes to think that fortune is so very [] with me. Now I know that there never was any thing of the kind that could ever be compared with it. Yet in my hands it is not with the paper that would take to write the scent on. I may have to send for those letters of McClellens, see that you have them safe.

I am pleased with the information you gave me about the [] changes in our regt "over the left". Why have not told me why you asked? It has exected old mother eve in me so let it out.

I was grieved to learn of the death of Major Bartlett. But death comes to us all sooner or later, and we little know how near it is to us at any time. The rain pattering on my

tent roof make me feel lonely gloomy and home sick. Though there is kindness of [] reporting us yet. I stretch forth any anew, amhilat space. And press you to my breast in loving embrace.

And my dear little children so dear to me An moves out of sight, though then I am not sure, Oh! home, home the easiest of any jewels so bright How my heart yearns to be with you , to night

[] this parties [], but I could nto help it my nurse would have it iso, as you see I did not commence it in the few of []. This letter is a dead affair any how, but if you could see how little there is here to create bright ideas you would not wonder. So I will not bore you any more this time. My health is good Tell Helen I will write to her tomorrow if I get time. Kiss the children for me, and here is a kiss for your dear self. God bless you all

Your loving husbandJ.C. Rutherford