Friday, April 03, 1863 - Stafford Court House, Virginia

Head Quarters 2^nd Brg,e 1^st Div,n

12^th Ambulance Corps Near Stafford Court House Va Apr 3th 1863

Dear Wife

I now seat myself to answer your letter of date 29^th I received last night which was Thursday was glad to hear that you ware all well and getting along in good shape your letter found me well as usual and remane the same to day it is quite pleasant here to day and the mud is drying up fast now, so the travailing will get to be good soon if this weather lasts, and I hope it will for I have seen mud anough for one season I got up this morning got brakefast eat it and got over a kettle water to heat to doe my washing it being a pleasant day but just as I had got our dishes washed the orders come for all hands to turn out and go and wash the Ambulances so we hiched up our teems went off about half of a mile and washed them off clean then we come back to camp cleaned up greased the Ambulance after which I shifted my cloaths and did my washing which consisted of one shirt one pair of drawers and one pair of socks it does not take a great while to do up my washing, by the time I get home if I should be lucky enough to do that I shall get to be quite a wash woman perhaps shall have to take your place doing house worke have not been paid off but we expect to be evry day now I hope we shall at any rate so that I can send you some money for you must be getting rather short by this time I should think however it will be time the first of May for you to draw your money from the state again which will be thirty dollars, it is almost time to for me to get another ten dollars from the state which I shall send home to you so I guess you will have anough to help you along if you are prudent and that I think you have been since I left home I think you have managed very well so far,You want to know if I am sorry that I went to the war yet I am not although I should like to be at home with you I should liked to have been at home at the time little Freddy was sick and died it of course would have been a great consolation to me and also to you if could have been at home on that sad occasion but it was not God will for it so to be, You say your Mother thinks that I would like to be at home with my family that is true no one would be more delighted to see their family than I should but as for being sick of the war I am not neither do I intend to be untill this rebellion is crushed from the face of these United States when that is done I shall be redy to say that I am sick of war and not till then, Wall Frank how are you I want to say a few words to you and ask you one question Mother says you have not learnt very well this winter now Frank I want you should try and study your books and see if you cant learn faster than you have,wont you do now as I want you should Franky the next time Mother writes you tell me whether you will do as I have asked you to or not, Georgia you spoke about going away to work this summer I had rather you would stay at home and go to school this summer you must not go away to live but stay at home with your Mother, my love to you all

From your Husband

A.C. Smith