Letter from E.W. Mudge to his mother, December 17th, 1862

                                                                                                            ???       December 17^th, 1862

Dear Mother,

            Taking advantage of the kindness of Miss Casey who offers to take my letter to you which I may feel like sending I now sit down to write you a few lines thinking that you will be as glad to hear from me as I would be to hear from you.  but that can hardly be.  for I would give any thing to hear but a doz word from you or any of the dear ones at home. George is well and well contended with spring hill and I know if he only knew that I was writing to you so would have half a thoushand messages to send you. As it is I will send his love to you all myself. I am now staying at Mrs. Gilmores but will as soon as spring and warm weather comes reenlist. I am at present making ninety dollars a month by writing in the custom house for Mr. Hatch but do not know how soon my employment will cease which depends all upon the import trade and Mother, knowing that you owe for Georges School bill I gave a Mr. McFerdon a draft for three hundred dollars for which no exchange he gave me six hundrend dollars in confederate money which I forwarded to Mrs. Chamberlain, so Mother you need not trouble yourself upon Georgies  account for two years to come. I and by that time I hope I will

have made a situation by which I can make enough to keep him to school as long as he wishes  to you for I am bound thats true[?] shall be one educated man in our family and seeing Georgy is the only one left he must be the one and Mother if I could be of any use to your or Brother Ned just let me know and I will come in for I can go to the City without taking the oath for that you may be sure I would never take, and if necessary I can come out again for I know I could whenever I wanted to. Mrs. Gilman sends lots of love to all and has been expecting you out every day. I know she should be very glad to have you come. She has also been expecting Sue and Sally but did not think Sue would come or ?? of Sister Emily whom She knew could not come. Mr Mulford came out a week or so ago and told us that Brother David had gone to Europe with Sally Angie and the Children. He also told us of the death of C Bah[?].?

            I suppose you have long before this heard from Nell[?] And the farm I hope they are all well there, and as happy as times will admit of, but is does seem to me that I can not see land ahead though I have never thought so before but we have now replaced Burnsides in Va.

And I cannot but believe but that the People in the North are getting tired of this unjust war. I for one am for fighting them till the last man falls and then let them take the country and our Corpses with it.

            You must write to Sister Nelly for me and send her lots and lots of love also in your letters to Europe remember me to Dear Sally Jennie and Amy? Not forgetting the rest of them there and you can tell My Annie that I have been head over heels in love half a dozen times since I last saw her but never so much as to forget her. I still have a lock of her hair in my pocket which I have carries through three battles and will carry through three more if necessary. And then I will not be up to poor Reddy? for He was in eleven (11) before He fell. And then had to be shot twice before he would leave the field. And now I am Mother wishing to me remembered with lots and lots of love to Sue, Em, Brother Ned and all the children I remain your ever affectionate and devoted Son,

            Willy

Love to all Friends in the City and lots of it to Annie