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Genl Walker, but for the reason that they are heartily tired of & disgusted with Genl
Magruder. We have reports here every day as to our being ordered off somewhere or
other, but they are mere rumors & nothing else. This place, Mud Island, has turned out to
be a very disagreeable location; since writing my last letter to you from here, there has
been several successive days of North East wind and rain, and the whole Island has
become inundated with mosquitoes of the largest and most voracious species; they are in
fact the real, regular "Gallinipper", of which I expect you have only heard & not seen,
and out-bite anything in that line I ever saw in my life. There is no sleeping here at night
without being enveloped in smoke, which to me is almost equivalent to not sleeping at
all; So, the result is, I do the most of my sleeping by daylight. I am getting more tired of
this coast country every day, and am exceedingly anxious to be moved in some direction
where there is, or may be, a probability of getting into active service. I received your
letter of the 31St ult. yesterday, Little Honey, and, I can assure you, felt intensely relieved.
Callie having recovered, and you getting along tolerably well under the circumstances, is
about as much as I could, with reason, ask for. If I could only be with you, Little Darling,
and whenever you felt bad or sick, take you in my lap & pet you until you got over it, it
seems to me that I would have nothing else in the world to desire or wish for. But it cant
be, at least for the present, and only makes me feel gloomy to write about it, without
benefitting you in the least. I am glad indeed to learn that you are so strictly and dutifully
obedient to my injunctions with regard to taking good care of my "Little Wife". It is no
jesting matter with me, though, Little Honey, and you must not consider me conceited
when I say, that your writing to me that you are obedient in that respect, if you are really
in earnest, affords me the greatest gratification imaginable. It is impossible for me to
have any definite idea as to when I will be able to come home again, but you may be
assured that it will be the very first possible chance. I have written you about all I have to
say now. Little Honey, and so will conclude. I have a great dislike to making any
attempt to put on paper how much I love my own sweet Little Darling, for the reason that
it is such a very unsatisfactory manner of expressing my feelings. It always seems to me
that if I had you in my arms for only five minutes I could express my love more fully and
convincingly than by writing a whole week, or by filling up several quires of papers.
Little Darling, you must always write me just such letters as your two last. I believe I
wrote you the other day that Wm Moores had failed in getting his transfer, or rather that
the order of transfer had been countermanded, and that, consequently, he had failed in
getting permission to go home. The flannel was sent by Simpson of my Company, who
lives, I think, with Bigger. If you have not received it you had, probably better send
there. Tell Bobolinks that Papa is very glad to hear that she is such a good little girl, &
that she must keep on being so, & he will bring her as much candy & oranges as she can
eat.
De.