1861 December 22 Fort Grafton

My darling wife
an opportunity occurs
of sending you a letter two or three
days earlier than by mail and I
avail myself of it--I write in
Henry Edmunds' tent--his regiment
is very near our fort, gut this is
the first time that I have been
down to see him--Paul is here
having returned to his company
the same day that I did
I hardly know what to do with
regard to applying for a place
to Chas Carrington or through
Mr Hughes--I would dislike to
put them to any inconvenience for
for nothing--it was for t his reason
that I refused Major Eades' offer
I think it would be rather better
to concentrate our efforts upon
obtaining the professorship and
if we fail in that then we
may trouble our aforesaid friends
I sent you by Mr Slaughter
Ficklin a very complimentary letter
from Major Goode--I hope you got

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it. Let me know if you did
not as also the letter of Capt
Southall--if you didn't get them
I must get them to give me
others--We must be very careful
to see that all the letters I
obtain reach Dr Smith--I would
rather have the professorship
than any other place, for the
obvious reason that I would be
more with you. Let me know
what you have done with regard
to writing to the tutors of the Va
Military Institute--Be sure to
wrote to them as soon as you
find out their address-- their
names are Hardin, Ross & Morgan
We are now in Winter Quarters
quite comfortably fixed--but I
want very much to be with
you--I received your two
letters written on the 18th--Did
you receive mine written on
the same day? The mails from
here are very slow. it takes
5 or 6 days for a letter to reach
you after it has been written

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Write soon and write often
I wait in a good deal of
anxiety for the 15th of Jan. to
decide my fate--leave nothing
undone. Don't forget to obtain
a recommendation for a dis-
charge signed by all the
trustees, if I am elected
get Mr Holcombe or some
influential man to present
it to the secretary and if it
is granted, telegraph immediate-
ly and send the discharge
by mail. I write under some
difficulty and in great haste
Excuse me and believe me
as ever with much love
Your devoted Husband

Love to all

[unsigned letter written by Howe Peyton Cochran, Sergeant, Co. H, 1st Virginia Artillery
]

MSS 9380