1862 January 28

[written on patriotic stationery showing Columbia with sword and flag]

Dear Wife

Although not in
perfect healt yet with
emotions such as no one can
know or feel exeped those who,
have near and dear friends at a
distance, I pen to you a few words
hoping when it reches you, you
may enjoye as good health as your
infermetis admits of, I hoping
sone to go through the firest
ordals ever cam to mans lot and
come out counqueror agin to
reduioyn oure fortuns once more
i am very glad to hear your health
is sloly yet stedy improving it
is a comfort to me as wel as it
is a Blessing to you thank God

[page 2]
you can not imagine how poor
Solders feel on the tented fields
espashely sush times as we have now
think stepping out in a bed of
Moarter foot & half deep and cursed
Rabels Before you time passing
on day by day, and not be able
to move on to end sport for
them, Angshious frinds awating
oure return evrything is dispiriting
on evry side, But thanks be to the
Father Almarcyfull for the Courege
inspired in oure men for thire
Country and frinds, this and only
this enables us to hold out aginst
al hardships and triles, dear woman
i have made al possible prapartion
for the future as you will se in bibbys
letter, As for the Payments to Jack
Garnet you have to exersise your
own judegment it will depend
a good deal on future operations
and if i was at home i could tell

[page 3]
batter with my own and the boyses
labour we could ecomplish somthing
in tow 2 or 3 years but let it go for the
pracent, Lydia i am proude
of libbby Staying at home like a
mother doing al she can for you
Shurly the Lord has blassed me--
also i her of Roberts manly Acts
it does me good realy, of Henry i do not
her so much but i spose he has turned
to be as good a boy as anny one could
wish for, George i spose keeps you
warm at night, dont he?

The books that i talked or
subcribd to of Mr Patridge are thre good
books, but unless the are bound in
calfskin you nead not take them
unles you ar a mind to do so, the
are good books of an instruction for
the boys, and if you think you can
spare the Monny, and the Boys wants
to git them, but on the whole doe
as you think best youre judgement
is better now at home then mine

[page 4]
Dear Woman i must now take
leav of you on paper for this time
May God be your Cansoler and his
blessing be with you through life
Your Affectionate Husband
till Death
Francis A Englehart

P/S. i should have wrote to
to Henry and George but as you
see i have alrady written a good
deal, i am glad always to hear
that the boys are making progress
in larning espashely George in
Arathmetick go on george
Henry let me know how you
prosper this Winter can you hold
you row among the rast around
the Rapids, Is Crazy Joe Root there
yit with his Marshel Band
goodnight the Havy Cannons
down the Potomac is a roaring
just now so that farly makes the ground
tramble like a continuouel
earthquake. Dispatshes is comng
in in haste i must close
Yours Francis A Englehart

Francis A. Englehart, private, later sergeant, in Co. H., 16th New York Infantry.

[This letter was collected by the late Atcheson Hench, professor of English at the University of Virginia who was interested in how the phonetic spelling of soldiers was a clue to the sound of the spoken language and regional dialects]

MSS 8474-u