August 17th, 1862

Camp near Corinth, Mississippi Aug. 17th 1862

Beloved Wife,
I don’t now but that you will get tired of my writing so often but, as I have but little to do. I get very lonesome and I can’t invent anyway or means of spending my time so pleasantly as by writing to you and the children, but if you get tired of my too frequent letters just mention it and I will try and hold off a little. I would be glad to hear from you everyday but, that is impossible and really I don’t think I have any reason to complain of late. Last week I got several letters from Darby and one from Coz. Ann and one from Jesse White, It looks now as though the mails had got regulated. All the letters I have received have been directed right , but I suppose some that have been sent me have not got the right start and that means they never reached me.
Now Mollie I’ll tell you what I’d like to have, Cousin Ann wrote me that you talked of going to Darby when peaches get ripe. If you don’t go until after you get this letter, I’d like for you to stop in Marysville or go to the Valley and get your and Elmer’s likeness in one case and send it to me by mail, and when I am paid off again I will send you some money to pay for it. A good many of the men have the likenesses of their wives and they think they are good looking, but I fancy that my wife’s picture would look as well as any of them and I know that it would reflect as good a woman as the best and I think a little better.
Well Mollie you talk in your last letter as though there was some spunk about you, yet you don’t say what you would do if a certain individual came to your home after night. What would you do Mollie? Eh! I fancy the broomstick would have to be mended next morning.
Lieut. Bardwell and a dozen men went out Jayhawking yesterday, they bought in a turkey, 17 chickens, 8 bushels of peaches, a few apples, between 50 and 60 watermelons and about 8 bushels of green corn. They report seeing some fine country, a few Sucsesh and had a great deal of fun. I was on guard and couldn’t go but I shall probably get a chance to go yet. I am going to enclose a few mellon seeds. The red ones are called the Tuscumbia and the white ones Tishomingo. They are a long mellon and are both red core.
I went to Genl. Grants headquarters this afternoon to hear preaching. The first I have heard for a long time. I started a box of Sucsesh clothing and some other articles to Ammon last Friday. Among other things there is an overcoat of very good cloth and if you get them in time and can do no better you may make them into clothing for Edgar, that is if you want to. The roundabout (a short close fitting Jacket) is of the best quality of Rebel uniform and it has a ball hole through the back of it, and I picked it up at one of the Rebel hospitals in the camp east of Corinth. It was slightly stained with blood around the bullet hole, I would like to keep that. The citizen coat I also picked up in the rebel camp, but somebody had cut the buttons off, I think it was a pity to see so much clothing go to waste so I saved what I did.
I send my love to you Mollie and the children

Good bye Charlie

Mollie could you send me some postage stamps?