Thunderbolt Hospital
May 9th 1863
Mrs. Nancy J. Harden
My Dear Companion! it is with gratitude that
I seat myself to drop you a few lines which will
inform you that I am most well. I am up and
about I go down to camps every day. it is about
¼ mile I think I am mending. I will be
well in a few days. though I may not I am
taking quinine now. I have taken enough
to day to make a portion of Martinss Mills pond
bitter. I hope these lines may reach
and find you and Mollie well. also all the
rest of the family connection. Tell
Dick he must be a good Boy and
take care of Mollie I have a heap to
write about but my quinine makes
me feell so dizzy that I ambothered to
think.. one of our companies
left here day before yesterday to go
up to Rome to help fight there but
they will have to came back
but they lived about Rome
and it was a good chance to get
to go home. they are to be back in
12 days. Col Gordan Said we
would have to go to Va. or Tenn
[page 2]
soon that is in 2. or 3. weeks.
I am treated very well at the Hospital: we
have kind Nurses and attentive Drs
Though some of the Boys grumble
I have no occasion to grumble at
all. I saw an Aligator yesterday 7 ½
ft.. long one of our men killed him
over on whit-marsh. when I say our
Boys or men, I mean Gordan’s Regt
I will rest a few minuets and then
I will think of some thing else to
write. Mr. Benson Just now came up
here and brought me your letter of the 7th. inst
and I was glad to here from you I was almost
out of heart. I want to come home. I cant tell
what is the reason I can not get your letters sooner
I have not got the money that you sent me
by Capt. Martin I reccon Elijah did not
give it to him. the Capt. has never said
any thing about aletter I asked him if
he heard from my folks while he was
there, &c&c I am sorry to learn that
you have lost the best cow you
had, and also sorry that Pa has lost
so many I expect some body has
[page 3]
got them. I am very much surprised
to here that Joe has run a way.
I am a fraid there is an Enemy there
who is Stealing Negroes and Cows.
if so you must catch him and Swing
him to a limb, so that he cant get
toe holt. I would sooner thought
Margret, Susan, Carrie or Bettie would
have ran away before Joe,
I am afraid Joe is a bad Negro.
Tell Daniell I think he is a white
man, that is a white principal.
I am a fraid you will be uneasy about
me when you here that I am in the
hospital but I think you need not
be, you know that I will be taken
care of if I get down and I will
write soon if I get worse the Dr.
will not let Women stay at the
hospital with their sick
husbands. I think that is
very hard indeed. Mr. Benson
was puny but he is a bout well
Mr Orees is well.
[page 4]
[written in top margin] keep this a secret
Y45 k84w th1t I 38t28d t4 g2t a
f50645gh, 18d th2 h40p3t16 is th2 p61c2
t4 g2t 3t 1t my int28t348 is to get
it 82xt w22k. 3 th38k I c18 f446 th2
Dr, and 3f I c18 I w366 c472 h472 s448
10 I c18 g2t 4ff [Key: 1=A, 2=E, 3=I, 4=O, 5=U, 6=L, 7=M, 8=N, 0=R/S. Translation: You know that I intend to get a furlough, and the hospital is the place to get it at my intention is to get it next week. I think I can fool the Dr. and if I can I will come home soon as I can get off]
I want to say that we have
not drawn any money yet
and if I get a chance to come
home I will have to borrow
the money to come on if
I can. if you get the chance
send me that which you
started and I will save it until
I see whether I come home or not
you must be of good cheer
and know that the fortunes
of war can not be avoided
So I will close farewell
My Love. W.H. Harden
write soon.
May 12 I am still mending this
morning I have just got up.