Sunday, March 29, 1863 - Stafford Court House, Virginia

Stafford Court House Va March 29^th 1863

Good morning once more dear Wife and children it is the sabbath we have got to go out on inspection at ten O clock this morning it is almost that now, the sun shines out very pleasant this morning the wind is rather cool it rained here yesterday very hard and it was a very cold disagreeable day it makes it pretty mudy again, last Friday was a very warm pleasant day and dried up the mud very fast that was the day we come back up here to Stafford C. H. you spoke in your last letter before this about Old Beach and Carrigan it seams by what you wrote that they have pretty much played out in Moodus it is a good thing for the place I think it would have been a blessed good thing if they had played out two years before but if Carrigan will leave and never show his head in East Haddam again he is welcom to that twenty two or three dollars that he owes me glad to get red of him at that, I should not think Old Beach would be quite as popular amongst the Methodist as he was when he first come to Moodus seeing he does not pay up brother Cook acording to agreement. I wonder if he pays his slip rent in the same way he does his house rent if he does the Church will get out of det before long, You said you wished I had some of your cake I think it would go very well any how I would like to try a piece of it although it might not quite come up to my short cakes or even the slap jacks that I made they went first rate out here I tell you I gues you would think so if you had lived on pork and hard tack as long as I had before that, Georgia wanted to know if I had any butter and Molasses to eat on my cakes I did have a little friend Clark bought a pound of butter paid only fifty cts for it and he gave me some to put on my cakes, we drawed for three of us about half of a pint of molasses so you see that I had a little this Molasses was for ten days rations she also wants to know if I do not want Mother to send me a box with some good things in it I should like some of those good things and if I thought that I should stay here long anough to get it I would have one sent but I dont think we shall so it will not be well to send one at preasant she says how far be you from Mr Purple at the time she asked the qustion I was about eight miles from him but to day I am not more than half of a mile about those Onions I doe not have anough to hurt anyone. you can say Onions and that is about all not anough to make that stue she spoke about, I did not write home that I was broke for the purpos of haveing you send me any money but however I received what you sent and it was very acceptble, I was not in Hartford at the time you spoke about but I should like to have been I should like to be at home to vote one week from tomorrow I would do all I could to defeat Seymour and all of his infernal clique, Bowers I would advise to dive off from the arch bridge and never more be heard from My love to you all give my respect to all enquiring friends

From your Husband

A.C. Smith