Franklin County: Samuel M. Potter to Cynthia Potter,
September 28, 1863
Summary:
Potter describes the bleak conditions at his brigade's new camp at Bealton
Station, Virginia. He also talks of dedicating himself to God and of wanting to
return home on a furlough.
Cynthia Potter
September 28th 1863
Bealton Station Va.
Dear Cynthia
Your welcome letter was received yesterday evening after I had gone to bed & I suppose the plesent dreams of last night are to be attributed to the fact. You will see by the above that we are not in the front at present. Just as I had finished writing my last letter we got orders to be ready to move in half an hour. I put your letter in my pocket & packed up ready for the march. We formed into column & turned our backs on the Rapidan passed through Culpepper & on to the Rappohannock where we stooped to get a few more hours sleep & rest our horses. In the morning we resumed our march our rest coming to Bealton while Brigade Headquarters at Rappohannock Station. Our division is now guarding this railroad from Manasses Junction to the Rappahannock Division Headquarters at Catletts Station. We have very little to do here. One squadron being out on picket while the rest are laying in camp. We dont have many sick now. There are a great many soldiers passing back & forwards & at present the prospects of a battle here is quite distant but we may be dissapointed. I have not heard of any stir in the front. The report here is that the rebs are falling back. I think their energies are turning to defeat Gen. Rosecrans so the army of the Potomac will have some rest from marching & fighting. We dont live here quite so well here as we did in the front. The army has been here all summer & the whole of this once beautiful country is a continuous scene of desolation. There are no cornfields nor potato patches, hogs or sheep munching over the fields. What few citizens remain here have nothing to sell or trade for our coffee or sugar but still we live well & I have as good health as ever. I suppose Josiah got home on a sick furlough. Is he getting better. You ask me whether it would be a good plan to get Martin Danly to take Josiahs note for the rent. I think it would do very well. It will save us paying so much money & you would be a long time getting it from Carrols. I suppose Mr. Burns death will be a lesson for all of us to be ready for we know not the day nor the day when the angel of death will take either of us from this earth. May we strive for a home in heaven. We know our time will come to die & so let us be prepared to meet the author of our existence to give an account of the deeds done here on earth & oh that we may hear that welcome sentence. Well done good & faithful servant, enter thou in the joy of thy Lord. What will become of us when we die. Will we have time & oppurtunity. Dear Cynthia let us prepare, though others do as they will. & Bell said she would be a good girl if mother would take her to meeting. Mothers heart plead for her little daughter & they all went to Church. God bless mother & her little children. I know they will all be good for mother. God is a prayer hearing & prayer answering God & will keep her children if she takes them to a throne of grace & there gives herself & them into his care. You wonder if you will have to go alone to see your mother. Well this time I expect you will as I dont expect to get a furlough for some time yet. None are granted except to the sick & wounded but if I am spared to get home & am able to go with you I expect to enjoy the pleasure of riding with you. & the children down to your mothers & having a pleasant visit if they are all well. I dont want them to think hard of my lasiness in not writing to them for lasiness is a poor excuse. The only letters I have written are to my wife & fathers except on business. There are quite a number of my friends that I am not treating well but when I go to write I think of Cynthia, Josey. Lucy, Bell & Jimmy & they crowd others out of my mind. All of my affections center there. There is the attraction for me, if I were to get twenty letters a week & none from my wife. I would be as uneasy & unsatisfied as if I got none. To tell the truth you are that I am anxious to hear about & yet at your mothers I have enjoyed myself well & if I was there I would enjoy myself again in their company, but still when I sit down to write a letter Cynthia is the one I am thinking of. You dont want me to join the army. Well dont be afraid. I would rather join my family now than anything I can think of. You seem to think I could get a furlough yet as I got one in July. That one was got under peculiar circumstances which I will explain after I get home. The same excuse cant be brought before the General now. Then it was not a furlough as none were granted but my claimed were urged in such a manner that instead of breaking his rule to give me one he issued a special order, ordering me to go & report back to the regt. in July & as you are aware I never got the order because John Milligan & I were in a barn in Maryland when the order came to the regiment in Vir. The Doctors thinking I would go to a Hospital in Baltimore sent the order to my address in Baltimore but I never got it & did not hear from the regiment until I joined it in August when they told me about the matter but too late. The time had run out. The same claims cant be urged now & I will have to wait & take my turn with the rest. If there is any chance at all I will be glad to accept it for the purpose of seeing those I am thinking about all the time. There is no person on this round ball that I would rather see than my own dear wife & children. Tell Josey that his drum will not be forgotten nor Lucy Bell nor Jimmy. I think I can find something for each of you. There were some Secesh papers in camp a few days ago but none of the boys would sell theirs. They wanted to send them home. You will get the first one I secure. You say Sam Danly wants me to write to him well there is Joe Sutherland, Alex Harvey, & a number of others that I ought to write to some day when I havent much to do maybe I'll write. I have my monthly report of sick to make out tomorrow which will keep me busy for a day. Give my love to your mother, Dolly, Anne, & Emme as that is all the family they have that I know of. I hope you will find your sister Jane in better health. Give her my love. The little girls too. Remember me to them. I hope your visit may be a pleasant one. I wish I were with you to help you enjoy it. Wont you need wintry clothing for the children & yourself. When you write next let me know how you are getting along. Have you a good garden & will the folks keep the stock out of it while you are gone. You had better keep an eye on Jimmy or he will run out some place & you will be uneasy until you find him. I reckon when I get home he can run down to the gate to meet me but he wont know me. You will have to give me an introduction. Wont you. Mrs. Emerick has a young son, wasnt Hannah or James Roney the Doctor. The 2 pairs of socks will be very acceptable I tell you but I reckon you want me to go for them so there you are. See how they fit. If they fit well I will wear them. No more at present dear wife,
From your affectionate husband
S. M. Potter
Give my love to Josey, Bell, Lucy & Jimmy
