The following letter was composed by a young woman whose husband apparently served in the Confederacy. Although the specific year is not indicated, if Friday the 19th of February is correct, then it was written in 1864. She refers to his absence on “business” and asserts that his “duty” necessitates it, leaving some uncertainty regarding his actual involvement in the Confederate service or in some other capacity. In her correspondence, she makes mention of “darkies” in the household and utilizes a scrap of paper for her writing—an item that was certainly in short supply by the conclusion of the war, further implying that this letter was drafted within the confines of the Confederacy. The information presented is simple insufficient for me to make any definitive conclusions regarding the couple’s identity.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Friday, 19th February [1864]
I sent you a letter on Thursday

My own dear husband,

I would not have written before but awaited your directions for your address. When you receive it, nearly two or full two weeks will have passed since our cruel separation. The time will have passed more rapidly to you than to me, having other subjects to engross your attention. I hope you cannot mind the separation as much as I do. I have sympathy too in my sorrow—& strange to say, not so much from my family as from the darkies. For instance, on the morning just as you drove off, was watching you as long as possible from the window. Robb coming in the gate, soliloquizing “This is a cruel world.” Lena said she wanted to come & watch me in my room when I sat in here alone & advised me to walk with the other young ladies & not be so mournful as to go alone every day. But I am mourning, so, I will not take her advice but go alone. I wish for my true love back again, but I only wish for the time to come when your duty will allow you to be here with a free conscience. I must be thankful for the cup of happiness already allowed us.

Tula begs me to thank you for your trouble. Hope Mr. Alf enjoyed his mammoth segar & that yours smoked nicely. I hope you did not tell Alf anything about L. They would not suit.I must find a little fault with your last letter. Its length of 4 long pages was fully appreciated but you may cause your wife much trouble from one sentence which was duly weighed and considered by your lordship before penning it. It is this—“I believe time will be afforded me to see you again before going out because neither of us could realize that I was leaving you for long.” Since I read that, one idea has filled my brain and occupied my attention. I am afraid to beg you to come for you will think I a behaving badly to want you here. But if your business will allow, I say, “Come to my arms my husband.” If! you come, you must try and bring “Ernestine” for me to lean how much you wish me to love. If Ernestine [does] not, you could bring Maggie as easily as you could a book. Believe that I live in and for you only, write often to your affectionate, — Wife