Camp in the Field No 2March 20th 1862My own wife,

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I read one of your letters to-night & it did me good. I found it here as I returned fr Washington. Went up yesterday on business. My own angel how much I have thought about you for a day or two. Was so busy before I got away that I hardly had time to think of anything. We moved down from Fairfax to this camp at Clouds Mills near Alexandria last Saturday in the most tremendous rain you ever saw. It was one of the most tedious times any army ever had. But I had my rubber suit on & slept in a house Gen’l Smiths Hd. Qrs.& got along nicely. My sweet angel I do adore you so much & shall be delighted when I get home with you to leave you no more. I did wish I had you last night. I stopped at the Metropoliton and it makes me think about you to sleep in a bed in a house. My wife you are a great source of happiness to me I love you intensely, & all the more for your purity and devotion to me. Darling you must always be a good (Home) My Wife. God bless you always in the fervent prayer of your husband.
Kiss me & get into my arms.

wife to me. What should I do without you now. I never could get another that would satisfy me. You must always be my own darling wife. I have not been able to write to you for several days, but you must not worry about me, for I will write when anything happens. We are waiting to embark. It is impossible to follow the Enemy by land, owing to condition of the roads & the difficulty of getting supplies. But we shall probably get at them soon another way, & the sooner the better. The glorious news fr all quarters is about killing us. Our army is virtually spoiling by inactivity, i.e. by having no fighting. Of course there are many who talk without meaning anything, & who are only too glad to be clear of danger, but the majority would rejoice to go into a fight tomorrow. I should certainly be loth to lose the coming six weeks of the experience of this army. There has been a tremendous pressure on Genl. McClellan in Washington. We about thought we should lose him one while. A change at this time would be ruinous altho he may have committed a fault. But the man who says he

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has committed a fault is assuming an extended knowledge of the military movements everywhere. I cannot stop to explain all that I know now. But one thing you may rely upon, that is, that the story about no fortification at Manassas & no army there is false, Engineers who have examined the place have told me repeatedly that the skill of the defenses there is unparallelled & the place itself is the best adapted to defend they ever saw. But more of this anon. I think the movement of Banks caused the rebels to leave. As for McClellan I scarcely know what to say fr my own observation. One of the best Generals I have ever seen told me a day or two ago, that he knew & it was on record in the Washington in the Provost Marshalls office that every movement of the army anywhere it was moved was McClellans plan- ning & that if they would but let him alone he would drive the enemy fr Va in ten days & the war would be over in one month. This last was his opinion only. But I had rather write about love to my own wife. Those war matters

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I will write to your father about those things soon. It rains like [fury] but my tent is nice, have a floor & stove. If I could only be with you my darling I should be happy. Am sure you are the best wife in the world. How glad I am that we got married before I came out here. Saw Capt Storr in Washington, he is Col now comd’g a brigade. Ben gave me quite a puff did’nt he? I suppose it was he. Do you write every day now. I dont get yr letters for several days sometimes & then several. Perhaps you better not send more than twice or three times a week. I would do anything to have you in my arms this rainy night. Do you remember the night we rode up fr [Lowel] in a chaise what a splendid ride we had. I sometimes get to thinking of one occasion & then another when we were together. What Heavenly hours those were, worth an age of anything else I ever enjoyed. It seems as tho we had had too much happiness sometimes Do you remember the time they all went to those Falls & left us to keep house. What would I give for such an afternoon. I used to be away so long, the time seemed more delicious when we are together Those splendid promises you used to make me are wrought into my heart, & you are fulfilling them so completely now. Oh my own wife, yr husband does prise & appre ciate you fully, not fully either, for that is impossible, but he loves you truly. Good night my angel. God bless and keep you his care & [me] for you. Pray for me often my beloved wife & be a true Christian yrself. Yr husband