Franklin County: Samuel M. Potter to Cynthia Potter,
July 20, 1863
Summary:
Potter explains his lapse in writing as the result of a stomach and liver illness
he contracted after the battle at Gettysburg.
Cynthia Potter
July 20th 1863
Harpers Ferry Va.
Dear Cynthia
Will you ever excuse me for not writing you for so long a time. I know you will & I must assure I feel very sorry for you & will hurry & tell you the reason for not writing sooner. Soon after the battle at Gettysburg I got sick. My stomach & liver were out of order. I hung on day after day hoping to get better but instead got worse. We were moving over the mountains until we came to Boneboro Md. when I got so sick as not to be able to go any farther. The Doctor sent me to a barn with John Milligan to wait on me. I lay there a week & got some better. Then we come down here yesterday Sabbath. I was still better but did not feel strong enough to ride every day with the retiment, when I got the Doctor to write an order for me to go to Baltimore to go to the hospital. Well the Dr. wrote the order & I came here. Saw the Quartermaster who had charge of the R.R. & he told me I would have to get a transportation order from Gen. Lockwood. I called on him & he sent me to his Medical Director who told me I would have to go into the hospital here. He could not send me to Baltimore so I stopped here. There are about 200 sick here. I have to act as Hospital Steward for them. They have not been in operation long & are not fully arrayed yet. The Drs. are very glad that I did come, as they had no one who knew anything about a Hospital Stewards duties & some of the Drs. dont know much about Hospital practice. They treat me very kindly. I hope to be able to get a furlough & get home before I got back to the Regt. I have felt very bad about you since I was sick knowing that you would be uneasy. You would go over to the postoffice & wait patiently for letter then to be dissapointed time after time. I know it would be very unpleasant for you. It has been the greatest trouble & sorrow I have known to be dissapointed in getting your letters & the children too would wonder where Pa is. I do wish I knew where he is. I think I can hear Josey saying. & so you are all at home again, you wrote to me in your last. I forgot myself when I was reading it & I thought I was at home on the back porch reading your letter & you were getting dinner for me. I felt bad about it & wished I could have got up & run there on the double quick. Well we have driven the rebs back into Old Va. again & hurt them some as they were going. Our regiment had a brush with them while I was sick & several were killed & some wounded. Abe Lezarden was killed & James Milligan was wounded. I hear our hospital was a factory & stands high on the Virginia side of the Potomac which washes the walls of the building. The Stewards room has a window looking out on the river & I am writing this on the window seat with the roar of the river in my ears as I write. This is called the Factory Hospital & if you write soon address Factory Hospital, Harpers Ferry.
Teusday. The mail has not gone yet but will in an hour or two & I will write a little more since this is the most enjoyment I have since your letters can not reach me from the Regiment. I feel quite well this morn & should go back to the Regiment but as they want me to stay here I will remain & see if I can not get a furlough. to get home. I would like so well to see you all once more. I would like to hear from you soon to find out how you all are. How Josey has got over scared at drowning. I hope he will be more careful of the millrace & keep a respectful distance from it. How do Lucy & Bell get along. Tell about them when you write & Jimmy I suppose Jumping Jimmy from what you say of his activity is he walking yet. How is the cow getting along. Do you have her in a pasture or is she living as usual in the road. I suppose you have a good garden. I hope to be able to help you eat some of it this summer, if my furlough comes all right. I will still leave you in the hands of our Great Preserver who has kept us all so long in the midst of dangers & preserve us from harm. Oh how I would like to be sitting beside you in the old church on the hill listening to Mr. McKee. Those were among the most pleasant hours of my life there to have them with the children & me there & oh how I would like to enjoy them again. I hope God will preserve & protect us & permit us to meet again to enjoy the service of his sanctuary again on earth. Pray for me dear Cynthia that I may grow in grace maybe more sanctified & that I may be more acceptable to my Creator & I will still pray for my dear wife that she may be kept in the hollow of Gods hand, that no harm may befal her that she may be made holy & righteous that we all parents & children may be accepted by the Almighty through his son the Lord Jesus Christ. That will bless you all in the prayer of your most affectionate husband.
S. M. Potter
