_Washington, Wednesday forenoon, April 15, 1863._ DEAREST MOTHER--Jeff's
letter of the 11th, acknowledging the books, also the one about five days
previous, containing the $10 from Van Anden, came safe. Jeff's letters
are always first rate and welcome--the good long one with so much about
home, and containing Han's and George's, was especially so. It is a great
pleasure, though sometimes a melancholy one, to hear from Han, under her
own hand. I have writ to George--I wrote last Friday. I directed the
letter to "Lexington or elsewhere, Kentucky"--as I saw in a letter in a
Cincinnati paper that Gen. Ferrero was appointed provost marshal at
Lexington. The 51st is down there somewhere, and I guess it is about as
well off there as anywhere. There is much said about their closing up the
regimental companies--that is, where there are ten companies of 40 men
each, closing them up to five companies, of 80 men each. It is said the
Government purposes something of this kind. It will throw a good many
captains and lieutenants out. I suppose you know that Le Gendre is now
colonel of the 51st--it's a pity if we haven't Americans enough to put
over our old war regiments. (I think less and less of foreigners, in this
war. What I see, especially in the hospitals, convinces me that there is
no other stock, for emergencies, but native American--no other name by
which we can be saved.)
Mother, I feel quite bad about Andrew--I am so in hopes to hear that he
has recovered--I think about him every day. He must not get fretting and
disheartened--that is really the worst feature of any sickness. Diseases
of the throat and bronchia are the result always of bad state of the
stomach, blood, etc. (they never come from the throat itself). The throat
and the bronchia are lined, like the stomach and other interior organs,
with a fine lining like silk or crape, and when all this gets ulcerated or
inflamed or what-not (it is Dr. Sammis's _mucous membrane_, you know) it
is bad, and most distressing. Medicine is really of no great account,
except just to pacify a person. This lining I speak of is full of little
blood vessels, and the way to make a _real cure_ is by gentle and steady
means to recuperate the whole system; this will tell upon the blood, upon
the blood vessels, and so finally and effectually upon all this coating I
speak of that lines the throat, etc. But as it is a long time before this
vital lining membrane (_very important_) is injured, so it is a long time
before it can be made all healthy and right again; but Andrew is young and
strong enough and [has a] good constitution for basis--and of course by
regular diet, care, (and nary whiskey under any circumstances) I am sure
he would not only get over that trouble, but be as well and strong as he
ever was in his life. Mother, you tell him I sent him my love, and
Nancy[14] the same, and the dear little boys the same--the next time you
or Mat goes down there you take this and show him.
Mat, I am quite glad to hear that you are not hurried and fretted with
work from New York this spring--I am sure I should think Sis and
housekeeping, etc., would be enough to attend to. I was real amused with
Sis's remarks, and all that was in the letter about her. You must none of
you notice her smartness, nor criticisms, before her, nor encourage her to
spread herself nor be critical, as it is not good to encourage a child to
be too sharp--and I hope Sissy is going to be a splendid specimen of good
animal health. For the few years to come I should think more of that than
anything--that is the foundation of all (righteousness included); as to
her mental vivacity and growth, they are plenty enough of themselves, and
will get along quite fast enough of themselves, plenty fast enough--don't
stimulate them at all. Dear little creature, how I should like to see her
this minute. Jeff must not make his lessons to her in music anyways strong
or frequent on any account--two lessons a week, of ten minutes each, is
enough--but then I dare say Jeff will think of all these things, just the
same as I am saying. Jeff writes he wonders if I am as well and hearty,
and I suppose he means as much of a beauty as ever, whether I look the
same. Well, not only as much but more so--I believe I weigh about 200, and
as to my face, (so scarlet,) and my beard and neck, they are terrible to
behold. I fancy the reason I am able to do some good in the hospitals
among the poor languishing and wounded boys, is, that I am so large and
well--indeed like a great wild buffalo, with much hair. Many of the
soldiers are from the West, and far North, and they take to a man that has
not the bleached shiny and shaved cut of the cities and the East. I
spent three to four hours yesterday in Armory hospital. One of my
particular boys there was dying--pneumonia--he wanted me to stop with him
awhile; he could not articulate--but the look of his eyes, and the holding
on of his hand was deeply affecting. His case is a relapse--eight days ago
he had recovered, was up, was perhaps a little careless--at any rate took
cold, was taken down again and has sank rapidly. He has no friends or
relatives here. Yesterday he labored and panted so for breath, it was
terrible. He is a young man from New England, from the country. I expected
to see his cot vacated this afternoon or evening, as I shall go down then.
Mother, if you or Mat was here a couple of days, you would cry your eyes
out. I find I have to restrain myself and keep my composure--I succeed
pretty well. Good-bye, dearest mother.