Wednesday Night Jany 22
My darling Jennie
It is night. I am alone in
my cabin which with its dirt floor
has a dark gloomy look. I have slept
in it
standing all its discomforts find
it at this particular junction more
men are not more than half fixed
in their cabins not more than
two or three have floors not over
half have any roof except tent
cloth & wood. Yet they are cheer-
ful & live in hope that our slow
moving Quarter Masters will soon
furnish us with plank. we have
a promise of some tomorrow &
if it comes we will in short
order have a floor. I got your
letter of Mondays date on yester-
day but received none to day. You
seem to be uneasy about Jim
I think it useless. he is doing very
well so long as he is free from
fever or pain I would not give
him medicine unless there was
a pressing necessity for it. I am
more uneasy about you. You
must try & keep very quiet and
not exercise more than necessary
You must try [to] dream pretty dreams
when you dream about me
[page 2]
and when you dream ugly ones
you must remember Rory O Morrs
saying that “dreams go by contrary
you know” and if you hapen [sic] to
dream a pretty dream why then
you must console yourself with
the reflection that it is so pleasant
to think over pretty dreams. Since
my return I have mixed very little
with the regiment partly because
it has been so wet & muddy and
partly because I have myself been
very busy trying to make myself
comfortable I therefore dont know
much about them, but I learn
from Dr M who is with them
a great dele [sic] of course that there
is very little disposition to re-
volunteer. Every imaginable reason
is given, but the truth is that
they are determined to let the Mo
lten [?] go to a draft & then if they
miss it will either rest on their
oars or hire as substitutes all
or very near all are willing to
serve & will I doubt not do so ef-
fectivelly [sic] but first they intend
that the men at home shall take
a chance.
Thursday morning – I kept my letter
open merely to say all well this
morning & no news
Most affectionately
Yr Husband
[written in the left margin]
We have had no
week & I fear it will be some time before I do get
any If you have good opportunity send me some
"Rory O Morrs", page 2, line 2 - 'Rory O'More.' While the Warren's may have read of him in another source, it is likely they read about him in Peterson's Magazine in an article, "What a Pretty Little Hand!,' by Mary E. Clarke, in the January 1859 issue (Vol. XXXV, No. 1, page 23-24) in which he and his statement about dreams was included.
"Dr M", page 2, line 16 - 'Samuel H. Moffett, Surgeon, 10th VA Inf.'
[transcription and annotations by John P. Mann IV]
MSS 7786-g
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