Friday, May 22, 1863 - Stafford Court House, Virginia

#19

Stafford Court House Va

May 22th 1863

Dear Wife

I now seat myself to answer your letters I received one on Monday night and the other last night Thursday was glad to hear that you ware all well your letters found me well and still remain the same and hope when this reaches you it will find you all the same I have not much war news to write we have heard from most of the boys from our company Fred Chapman is wounded in the thigh but not very serious I guess I have not seen him the two Purples Holcomb and Fuller are in the patroll camp at Anappolis Maryland they will have to stay there I suppose untill they are exchanged then they will come back to their Regiment again I am going back to the Regiment again to day I presume you will want to know the reason that I am going back it is becaus there is not going to be so many Ambulances to the Regiment so some had to go back and I hapaned to be one of that luckey number however it makes no dif to me I am able to stand it yet I shall not have quite so easy a time of it when I get back as I have had here but I know what it is for I have been there before I now shall have to come into picket and guard duty and drill again this drilling such hot weather as we are haveing here now is rather sweaty buisness I tell you but that is nothing side of long marches and a big fight but how soon or how long it will be before we shall have to go into another battle none of us know I doe not crave the job but if I have to do it I shall try and doe the best I can. about the Inshureance I did not exactly understand your figurs it did not cost so much as you thought or I guess, I paid at the time I got the house inshured three dollars and eighty seven cents it will not cost as much to get it renewed as what it did in the first place I guess only about half as much but anyway it will not be as much as you thought for, you wanted I should write what Division I was in am in the first Division 12^th Army Corps was in the 2^nd Brig,e but since the battle a part of the first Brigade have gone home their time was out and now I think we are in the 1^st Brigade 1^st Division 12^th Army Corps, Have you paid the last years slip rent you have never wrote any thing about it would like to know, is Jule Hamilton married to Bart or not Horatio told me some thought they ware not married I supposed that was a settled point had never heard it disputed before, Well Georgia I must write a few words to you and give you a few commands which I wish you to always bare in mind whenever you get a notion in your head that you dont want to mind your Mother but on the contrary think that you can do just as you are amind to, I have had a sort of presentment that you some times are a naughty girl and it makes your dear Father feel very bad to think that his only daughter is getting to be head strong and not want to mind her Mother but have her own way whilst her Father is in an enemys land a way from home and friends, perhaps you may never again be permitted to see my face if you should not I want you should remember what I have often wrote to you to be a good girl and mind your Mother you must not get it into your head that you want to go out nights unles your Mother goes with you it is a very bad plan for girls of you rage to be out nights away from home now remember what a loveing Father says write when you receive this and tell me if you will try and abide by the instrucktions I have given you now and before, my love to you all I want Edgar & Frank to consider that what I wrote to Georgia is meant for them also they must boath remember what I have wrote to them a great many times to always minde their Mother and be good boys, No More this time

From Your Affectionate Husband & Father

Abner C. Smith