Wednesday, December 19, 2012

1862 December 20 near Fredericksburg

Pine-woods near Fredericksburg,
Saturday, Dec 20, 1862

My darling wife,
Your letters of the
13th and 16th were received last evening, the
ninth since our separation  In the meantime I
have found some compensation for the lack of letters
in your journal.  It awakened in me lively emo-
tions of gratitude to God whose goodness and wis
dom are so signally displayed in guiding you
amid disappointments and fears to a happy issue.
Our own experience confirms the precious promise
of his word, and should teach us to be strong in
faith. "Truly goodness and mercy shall follow us all
the days of our lives,and we will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever."  I was highly gratified
too at the evidences of your true and refreshing
affection for me.  But I was becoming daily more
eager to get a letter from you, and my delight
yesterday was great in receiving not only news
of you health, but such sweet and rich disclo-
sures of you love to me, just what the best of
wives ought to send to her devoted husband, that

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I could not suppress a feeling of shame a the re-
collection of my own meagre letters.  But if my corre
spondence ever seems cold to you, be assured that
my heart is not.  The full details of your daily
life are also very pleasing to me.  They place you
with such distinctness before me, and enable me
to understand how you feel and act more exactly
and completely than I could from any  general state
ments.  I must thank you too for the kind letters
of your mother and the newspaper extracts touching
some of my former companions in prison.  You
must have before this time received at least the
letter which I sent you by you cousins Ned and
Andrew Huston, and I trust two others.  Hereafter
we may expect a regular mail; and you must re-
member that I will be solicitous to hear from you
more frequently while the small-pox prevails in you
neighborhood.  I am now surrounded by soldiers
who came up by companies to be vaccinated.  Will
it not be well for you to be vaccinated again, if
the former times did not take hold?
                                                        The enemy
still remains in force across the river's.  Yesterday and

[page 3]
and[sic] the previous night our regiment were on pick
et, and much pleasant conversation was carried on
between them and the Yankees, the Rappahannock
alone separating them, thy confessed that they were
badly whipped, estimating their loss between twelve and
eighteen thousand, and offered to swap Burnside
for a good corporal. They say that if it were up
to the privates, the war would cease. Two of our
regiments crossed to them in a boat, and some of them
visited us.  They gave our soldiers coffee liberally, and
ours would have given them tobacco, but unluckily
the officers interfered to prevent the free intercourse.
Good-humored wit abounds in the army.  I ran
the fire of their jests the day of my arrival as I
staggered along under the burden of my big bundle
of bed-clothes.  "What brigade do you carry baggage for?"
is a specimen of their remarks.  On the famous Satur-
day, as a rifled shell flew by us with its peculiar
flutter, I was stuck by the comment near to me, "There
goes a fellow with a ruffled shirt!"  I have not been
able thus far to hold religious services in the comp[an]y
and if to -morrow shall resemble to-day in bitter
coldness, no sermon can be preached with profit.

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The testaments were gladly taken; but there are
probably one hundred and fifty still needed.  I wish
you to enquire every few weeks of bros. Bidgood and
Bennett whether they have any; and if so, buy 100
at once.  I have lent out your Blind Bartimaeus, and
hope it will do good.  I have never told you
of my difficulties the morning of our parting.  Jacob
and I had a tough job with our baggage.  When I
stepped into the office for a ticket, the train moved
off,  I rushed after it, and got my chattels and my
self on one of the crowded platforms, and there re-
mained until 11 o'clock.  At first, the condensed and
confined vapor from the engine fell on us in fine snow
or frost; and as I held to the iron railing, my hands
would have suffered but for my wife's considerate
kindness in  knitting me those gloves.  They have since
been a comfort to me.   I am now surround
ed by your cousins. The Hustons in this regiment;
Dr. Williams assigned to the 24th, regiment in
this brigade; Dr. Estis and bros. in other brigades of
this division.  I hope you saw bro. and sister
Judkins.  So soon as I hear from you concerning
your interview with them, I will write him a letter of

[page 5]
congratulations and fraternal wishes for their mutual
happiness.   You ask me, darling, whether I
desired you to be really happy, or only to seem cheer
ful, in my absence.  I certainly feel great pleas
ure in knowing that you miss me, and yearn
after me, with such wife-like devotion, I would
not have it otherwise.  I too feel a deep need
of your presence, and of the soothing caresses and words
of love by which you can charm away sadness and
pain.  but can you not be happy consistently with
those [trying?] ?  Yes, my precious Ella, you must
and will be in reality cheerful, and as you
have been bravely in appearance, when the first
pangs of separation are past, and you learn to
adapt yourself to the new condition. How pleas-
ing to anticipate the halcyon days of peace, when
duty will not divide us, but call us to labor and en
joy together.  God can send us that time right early.
Perhaps the late disaster to the enemy will materially
help to this result.  Surely he no longer thinks if
the once boasted superiority of his forces in physique
and morale, and even the later trust in his
overwhelming numbers is is proved vain by accumulating

[6]
evidences.  You and I may contribute to wrest this
terrific war by our prayers. "The fervent effectual
prayer of one righteous man will availeth much. "
There is power in prayer; but our faith is feeble
Yet if it be of the size of a mustard-seed, it
can work wonders. What need we have of the
disciples' prayer: "Increase our faith."
  I will suggest a plan for our bible-readings
the new year--at least, a part of it, and the
rest can be formed as the months advance.
As you have read nearly through the historical
portion of the Old Testament, let us begin with the
prophetic.  Read Isaiah and Jeremiah, inclu-
ding the Lamentations; and at the same time
       rather all the evangelists in order, which will answer in time
Matthew and Mark ^ two chapters in each Testa
ment daily, or three in the Old however we come
to one with less than eighteen verses.  We will
then turn back to the five books of Moses and the
book of Joshua, reading daily about six chapters, be-
cause their narratives can be read with interest
and profit more rapidly than other books.  Who
could object to the whole story of Joseph at a single
sitting.  Sometimes we will go over even more chap-

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ters, viz. those which contain genealogies and descrip
tions of the tabernacle. In connection with those
books, we will read the epistles to the Romans
                  which contain so may allusions to them
and Hebrews. ^ I will hereafter appoint the rest
of the course.  Aiming to furnish variety and to
mingle the less and the more strictly spiritual and

devotional parts of the Scriptures, i propose that
after finishing the new Testament, we substitute
for it the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and
Song of Solomon.  By this method we can complete
the holy book in the year, and I think with new
interest and instruction.  Tell me what you think
of it.  Please examine some commentary on Luke
1.17: "To turn the hearts of the parents to the children,"
and let me know in brief what its meaning is
explained to be.
   My darling, I must close for the present.  Monday
morning I will try to add a few lines before the mail
carrier starts.  I will think much of you to-morrow.
But why say this, when every day and every night
you are constantly in my mind?  With what tender-
ness, what joy, what devotiveness, what fervor of
prayer, words can not express.  Your love is sweet

[page 8]
to my heart.  And though I am wholly ignorant
when I will see you again, yet I am always looking
forward to the time with the intensest delight
God keep you, my beloved, and restore us to teach others
embrace in health and happiness at an early day.
  I must ask you to send my love to your mother
and all her sister's family.  Especially write to Mrs.
Estis that I have not forgotten her request to
pray for them and especially for her soldier boys.
I pray not only for their physical safety, but
for the salvation of their souls.

       Good-bye, my love, my life, Ella darling.
                   Your husband,
                       J. C. Granberry.

Monday morning.  Your sweet letter of Wednesday and Friday
received last evening.  Sunday our brother to Saturday--too cold
for out door worship. The piercing cold and copious, acrid smoke
would scarcely allow me to enjoy the Bible and French.  You make no refer
ence to Ned and Arthur Houston.  Ned expected to e in R. Thursday night
and Friday--promised to call on you and bear my letter.  Andrew
was threatened with pneumonia, and went with him.  Probably they took
the cars, instead of the packet.  [Mike?] Clarke arrived last night with
boxes for some of the regs.  We will feast.  They invite me to join them in
a Christmas egg-nog.  What says my wife?  A happy Christmas to my darling,
and to Blanche and Bettie, and Annie, and the little ones--to the "old
folks at home" also. Am grateful to Blanche for watching over you, and
leading you out on walks and visits.  A heart-full of love is the only Christmas
gift you husband can send his dear wife. I am very well

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