_Washington, Oct. 13, 1863._ DEAREST MOTHER--Nothing particular new with
me. I am well and hearty--think a good deal about home. Mother, I so much
want to see you, even if only for a couple of weeks, for I feel I must
return here and continue my hospital operations. They are so much needed,
although one can do only such a little in comparison, amid these
thousands. Then I desire much to see Andrew. I wonder if I could cheer him
up any. Does he get any good from that treatment with the baths, etc.?
Mother, I suppose you have your hands full with Nancy's poor little
children, and one worry and another (when one gets old little things
bother a great deal). Mother, I go down every day looking for a letter
from you or Jeff--I had two from Jeff latter part of the week. I want to
see Jeff much. I wonder why he didn't send me the _Union_ with my letter
in; I am disappointed at not getting it. I sent Han a N. Y. _Times_ with
my last letter, and one to George too. Have you heard anything from George
or Han? There is a new lot of wounded now again. They have been arriving
sick and wounded for three days--first long strings of ambulances with the
sick, but yesterday many with bad and bloody wounds, poor fellows. I
thought I was cooler and more used to it, but the sight of some of them
brought tears into my eyes. Mother, I had the good luck yesterday to do
quite a great deal of good. I had provided a lot of nourishing things for
the men, but for another quarter--but I had them where I could use them
immediately for these new wounded as they came in faint and hungry, and
fagged out with a long rough journey, all dirty and torn, and many pale
as ashes and all bloody. I distributed all my stores, gave partly to the
nurses I knew that were just taking charge of them--and as many as I could
I fed myself. Then besides I found a lot of oyster soup handy, and I
procured it all at once. Mother, it is the most pitiful sight, I think,
when first the men are brought in. I have to bustle round, to keep from
crying--they are such rugged young men--all these just arrived are cavalry
men. Our troops got the worst of it, but fought like devils. Our men
engaged were Kilpatrick's Cavalry. They were in the rear as part of
Meade's retreat, and the Reb cavalry cut in between and cut them off and
attacked them and shelled them terribly. But Kilpatrick brought them out
mostly--this was last Sunday.
Mother, I will try to come home before long, if only for six or eight
days. I wish to see you, and Andrew--I wish to see the young ones; and
Mat, you must write. I am about moving. I have been hunting for a room
to-day--I shall [write] next [time] how I succeed. Good-bye for present,
dear mother.