Mouth of White Rr Ark November the 19th 1864 My Dearest Lizzie izent that the sweetest name this sid the Niagra Falls I think so at least there is the best & sweetest litle woman in Hamilton by that name that I had the plesure of being in the company of & to day it seams to me that I would give a hansom sum of money (if that would do) to imbrace my best frend on earth I would love to take an evening walk over meadows or greenfealds with you once more or sit & spend some beautifull evening on the portaco of my persuch dwelling or sit around a pleasent water fier & talk of pleasent things while the wild north wind was rushing through or around the fealds yes deep in the night is more pleasent when all but nature is silent the swine has become satisfide with his posision & & the litle calf having perenered[?] his alowance lays down to take his nights rest & the old cow having discharged the duty of chewing over the food lays down to rize at early morn yes then is the time to ingage in a happy conversation altho the mouse takes out his head & looks for a moment with some insolence but hes only trying to take advantage of the interlueds of silence that sometimes in conversation prevales do you ever remember of engaging such pleasent times as theas how silent & pleasent altho the cricket seams to think that he is all the orater in the asemble yet he is a small man & it does not interfer much oh how delitful it would be to spend one of thoes winter nights with you do you feal dreary & lonly if so be very cearful to not slip some of your time that in this life you may look back & think that you must have been happy Lizzie I would love to write all this letter on the subject of calm consideration & happy reflection but I have not space as I have some other facts to state I am well & harty hoping that this may find you & the litle children well we are stil here & no prospects of leaving here soon Posey is Captain P L Hooker now is the 125 W ¦ 6 I at Louisville the news of the reelection of Abe & the election of Andy Johnson was received here yesterday with loud cheers there is 10 or 12 steamers laying at the warf now troops is going up white river Good Evening Lizzie since eating dinar I shall resume my letter is not this a cold day how chily gloomey & dark the ruels on the paper is almost like the saim hid by darkness after dinar which consisted of pickeld pork pickeld beef biscuit homeny & beer You wil think gad among ( & so it is ) but a litle biter milk & buter & pumkin custerd would have been delicious oh yes this is the last fall month & nearly gon two soon december with its long cold nights will be on hand then you will nead good litle hot fiers to sit by wont you we dont stand picket now hope we wont then there I look out & it is drizling rane this is bad wether yes it is cold now where you are perhaps it is raning you must stay in the house & see that the litle children has good shoes & you two & mind about fier & do not get all burnd up this winter & have no place to live in is not this nice paper I think so but yours wil do to tare up as I have no way of taking care of them there comes a large steamer from New Orleans it is the Gladiator the river is very full now & rizing & steamer when they land slams up along side of our shantys the polar starr will be down to day then we will get a mail & now as my paper is full I bedone (yours) (Mac) Frank Morris is about to get a furlough he is sick if he comes home & you here of it you must go to see him for if he goes I have a litle money that I want to send home to you so when I draw I will not have so much to pay for expressing some of it I have had since I drawed last & as we are expecting to draw soone I shal not keep any when there is a chance to send without paying I am yours truly let only your self know when you have money on hand as there is danger Yours without fail M A Hooker Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723