3d Div 6th Corps HospitalFeb 25th 1865My dear Wife,

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I have just received your letter of the 19th. I had began to dispair of hearing from you again, it is so long since I had heard from you. But right upon the heels of my dispondency came a very welcome letter from you and Helen. Do not think I attempted to make any display of [] when I wrote those lines. It was simply a spontanious expression of my feeling.

If they pleased you I accomplished my wish. When I read the verse you quoted I could hardly realize that it was an effusion of my own brain. I think I must have outdone myself.

I am suffering to day, now dont laugh with the Mumps, yes, the mumps, and I am obliged to keep pretty close quarters, for the moment the cold air strikes my face it gives me great pain. I had had them when I was about seven years old on both sides, and it is a little singular that I should have them again. But such is the fact. You can judge how much I feel like writing.

We are astonished every morning at the great number of rebel deserters that came into our lines during the night. Yesterday morning - (about 9 oclock) a company of 55 with all their officers came, this in broad day light too. A great many come in during the day, but more at night. Yesterday we had some very heavy commemorading, and at 4 P.M. we find a salute of 100 guns for the capture of Willmington. At the news of the fall of Charleston we find only 26 guns, the number of the U States.

Our troops are all under marching orders as we expect Lee will attack us and try to break our center. Genl Grant has ordered to let them break it. It is conjectured that he intends to open the line when they attack like a folding door each half to fall back right and left, thus, and as the rebs come in swing round behind them and trap them. This is nothing but conjecture. Our army is very strong now. We have double the number of men we had in December, and is increasing every day. The weather has been quite spring like for the last 10 or [] days. To day it is raining a little, but quite warm. We hear the birds singing cheerily every morning

You speak of Jacob suffering so much with his joints & and you dont know what to do with him. I am sorry for the little fellow and hope it wont amount to much

You must have him wear flannel next the skin, put drawers on him. You cant think of keeping him in the house all the time, but you must insist upon his keeping out of the wet. Tell him I shall know just how much he loves me by obeying his Mother.

Tell him that I shall expect him to learn to write so he can write letters to me. It wont take him long to do it, and I shall so proud to get a letter from my dear boy.

The Genl Grison of where I spoke is the great Mississippi raider, but the [] in Harpers is no more like him than it is like Elder Hall. He is going to send me his Photograph then you can see what a looking man he is.

I am glad to [] that Mr Page is getting better. Give my regards to them all. Tell Mrs Parker that goose is played out, and it came very near playing me out. Remember me in much kindness to her.

A man offered me 300$ in cash for my mare the other day and I am of a mind to take it, 300$ is a pretty little sum of

just now. If any thing should befall her we should feel that we had lost so much money. The troops are being paid off now, but I fear I shall not get any, as I was paid off in january, but I shall try. If I dont I shall have to [] you for some. That is if you have any left. Since I wrote the above I have learned that I cannot get any of the Pay Master, as I have already got as much as any will get. So if you can send me some money I shall be glad. If you have more left that I left you dont borrow any for I would sooner go without.

I am feeling very miserable this P.M. every bone in my body aches even to the bones of my head. I would write to Helen to day but I do not feel like doing so. It is a great effort to do this. One thing I must insist upon you must write oftener. If you knew the half the value I place upon letters from home you would not cheat me of so much pleasure. I have just two letters from home since I left Now is it not unkind? Dont mind my complainings. I do not feel like myself.

Give my love to our dear children, and accept the renewed assurance of my unbounded love for you. May God bless you all.

Your husbandJ.C. Rutherford

What do you think of my envelopes? George printed them for me.