1861 October 29 Williamsburg

My dear, dear wifey

In writing to you this morn-
ing I hardly know where to commence--I have
written to you twice in the last two weeks, but cant
say whether you have gotten my letters or not
the mails are so irregular--the last letter I
received from you was dated the 18th (friday)
but you attended to Dr. McGuffey's preaching the
next day which induced me to think that you
wrote on Saturday, as you would be more likely
to make a mistake in the day of the month
than in the day of the week--at any rate I sent
you quite a long letter by young Wills who expected
to be in Charlottesville on friday the 18th in that
letter, written partly on Youngs farm & partly at
Harwoods Mill, I told you of my having been
attacked with the chills & fever--in another letter
neither of which have been acknowledged
written to you & Ma together on last Wednesday ^
I told you of my having been sent to this place
as an invalid; not exactly as an invalid either
but in order to get all who were not able to
stand a very rough time out of the way as Genl
Magruder expected an attack hourly. I have
been here now one week and feel entirely
recovered except a little weakness and will rejoin
my company as soon as I can get an opportunity,
The company have had quite a hard time of it since
in the rain without their tents. Genl Magruders
fear of an attack seems to have been unfounded.

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I have received no letter from wifey since the 18th
but hope there is one in camp for me; though I
ought to have gotten it if you directed it to Wmsbg
as it would have to come here before it went
to camp-by the way, if letters and parcels &c
intended for me are directed to Yorktown, I think
I would get them sooner--but do not trust anything
of value which you may wish to send me, except
in the hands of reliable persons or in a way which
you are convinced will carry them direct.
I have received several of the things sent me
by Mr. Southall, the overcoat, gloves, likeness, a
couple of pamphlets and your letter--the
other things are probably at camp--those I men-
tioned were brought up here to me by one
of the men--the gold dollar was not in the letter
and unless you gave it to Mr S. is doubtless lost.
But that is no great loss as a soldier can send
his letters without prepaying the postage, though it
will have to be paid when it reaches its destination.
Besides I expect to receive part of my pay when
I get back to camp which with money due me
by the men will amount to one hundred and
thirty (130) dollars--this with the ninety odd dollars
which you ought to have will keep you afloat
this winter--the overcoat and gloves will be worth
their weight this winter, in confederate notes.
From what I can judge, I think Doct Coleman came
up last week to be married but as there was no
clergyman in town it was postponed until this evening.
I think they go about it in a very matter of
fact way, making no fuss and like they were
used to it--Miss Helen sends her love to you
and tries to plague me about thinking & talking
so much of you, but she cant succeed there.
Mrs. Saunders and Miss Lelia also desired me
to send you their love I showed them your

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likeness and they were in admiration at its
faithfulness and beauty.
dont forget to ask Mr. Godwin for an abstract
of my bank account since the first of July
and send it to me in one of your letters--
Where is Aunt Sarah? Ma has'nt mentioned
her once in any of her letters that I recollect
Give her my best love if she is in Ch:ville
and tell her that one of her letters would be very
acceptable-- writing from this section of the
country is a serious matter--paper coarse
foolscap 75 cts a quire--Miss Helen is out and
this I happened to pick up in the parlor-Give my
love to Pa, Ma, Mittie and the rest at [lynhaden?]
your Mother, Pa, Aunt Chloe Monkey &c
and believe me as ever
your very loving
Husband

(Confidential) *I wonder if C. C. could
do anything for me
suppose you try him

My own darling wifey
How much I thank you for the daguerreotype
it was so kind in you and so much like your sweet self
it is even more of a consolation to me than I expected
it would be-it is so much pleasure to look at the
image of a countenance really so lovely and so very
dear to me--I have it now before me and were it
[?] the original I would be the happiest man in
this peninsula--I catch myself frequently talking
to it and kissing it, just as I would you--I have
thought so much of my darling in the last week
that I would almost give all I am worth to be with
you ten days--such a hankering to see you comes
over me some times that it makes me sick--My
own precious darling! my love! my life! & my every
thing! when shall I see you--I almost feel like
[?]thing a substitute and leave war to those who

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havent such a darling wife as I have I hope
and pray that something may turn up so that I
can see you before Christmas. I want to be with
you the 18th of Dec and tell you how much happiness
you have conferred on me during the last year.
I have seen more happiness during the last year in
the love and affection and possession of my precious
jewel than I ever did in any other five years before
wont you tell husband in your next if you have been
sick lately?--O for one sweet kiss, from my darling
May God bless, preserve and make happy my darling
wifey is the prayer of her devoted loving husband.

Dr. Coleman was married tonight at Mrs Tucker's
quite private they immediately came over here and
have taken lodging--Charles Carrington has been
appointed quartermaster at Yorktown and the Rev.
Mr. Wilmer assistant.

Mt's Nannie L. Cochran
Charlottesville
Virginia

Howe Peyton Cochran, Sergeant, Co. H, 1st Virginia ArtilleryMSS 9380