Franklin County: Samuel M. Potter to Cynthia Potter,
February 11, 1863
Summary:
Potter tells his wife of the quiet in his camp. A considerable portion of his
letter is filled with messages to his children about how much he misses
them.
Feb. 11 1863
Camp 16th Pa. Cavalry
Dear Cynthia
The mail has yet again cheated me of a fondly looked for pleasure. No letter from home this week so I have no letter to answer and if yours will not come to gladden me the mail cant cheat me of pleasure in writing home to you. I indulge myself in the hope that you are all well still. & I can assure you that my health is as good as common. We have no particular news here. We are all quite. Some of the companies are out every day on picket but our headquarters is still in the pinewoods. We have twenty two in the hospital now none of them very bad those who were sick are getting better and on a sunshing day they all get out & enjoy themselves stretching around with their canes. Today is wet & they are all housed in. Yesterday our regiment made about 2 miles to be inspected by General Stoneman who is our commander now. I do not think there will be much fighting here, they are moving some of the troops away to North Carolina., to come at the rebels some other way as they are too well fortified to be attacked here successfully. The paymaster has not come yet but if we are patient he will come along after a while to gladden our eyes with the greenbacks. You spoke in one of your letters about leaving Good Intent. I dont wish you to go for some time yet as you have good friends there better than new ones would be who you knew nothing of & then there must be something standing on the books yet that will keep you awhile which if you move away will be lost I would like it for you to stay there a while longer. I will only be paid up to the first of January & will have about 50 dollars which I will send to you as soon as the paymaster comes. Alex Gunn is here yet & will not go home till the boys get their money so I will send mine home by him. I intend also to send you a pencil sketch of the hospital. I have just got a loaf of bread baked for the hospital I cant tell you what it will taste like but expect it is good. Does Lucy go to yet or try to learn any. I hope my little daughter will try to learn. It would please me so much. Josey is a very good boy to his ma I know & if his life is spared I hope to see him in some honorable of life performing his duties like a good man as he is now a good boy. & yet Lucy is a good kind loving daughter & sister. but I would like to see her something more I would like it if she was like Josey in wanting to learn. so that she too would be able to fill an honorable station in life a servant of the Most High & a comfort to her parents my little talking Bell what does she say Pa would be so glad to her talking to him & her would tell her some stories about the war if she was on his knee & Josey & Lucy could hear them too. Bell kiss Jimmy Sloan for Pa. Mr. & Miller have built a chimney in our tent & have a fine place to look into the dark nights. When Pa looks into it he thinks of Ma sitting beside him & the children must be in bed it is so quiet. looks around to see & medicine boxes meet his eye instead of little children in their happy sleep in trundle bed. If his & their life is spared he will see that little group yet. & have the warm breathing loved Ma at his side instead of the cold ideal. We have had our supper & a peice of the loaf it is very good. Old fashioned salt raised bread. The boys in the hospital were very much pleased with it.
Janey
Are you enjoying yourself in your stay. Well I expect you are as there
are some company in the neighborhood. I dont know what
amusement they have there now, but amusements are not all, fit yourself for
unselfishness & you will enjoy pleasure in the proper performance of
duty in what ever station you may be placed whether you will have a family of
your own or stay with our parents. Well as I wrote to Cynthia so will I stay
with you. We have no news worth relating We are in the Pines no other soldiers
in sight as the woods are on all sides of our camp. One day is like another to
us so that some times the Sabbath is almost unnoticed as a day of Sacred rest
Dear Wife
In sending your letter put no little thing to make some thievish
postoffice clerk think there is money in it for it will not come to hand
& I will not have the pleasure I prize the most that is the reading of
the letter from home.
Write to your affectionate husband, father & brother
S. M. Potter
