Camp White, September 4, 1863.
Dearest: —
Yours mailed 31st came last night. McKinley (the former sergeant), tearfully
and emotionally drunk, has been boring me for the last half-hour with his
blarney. He uttered a great many prayers for “madame and those little boys, God
bless them.” So, of course, I was civil to him.
We are less and less likely to be moved from here as the
fall weather sets in. The change to cold weather was a most grateful one in our
hot camp. It takes the long cold rain-storms of November to make our camps put
on their most cheerless aspect.
You inquire about Mrs. Comly and how we like her. She is an
excellent sweet young woman, and all who get acquainted with her like her. She
is affable and approachable, but of course she can't make friends as you do.
Your gifts are rare enough in that line. The colonel is not well. He is living
too luxuriously!
I would be glad enough to see you enjoying a faith as
settled and satisfactory as that of Mrs. Davis, but really I think you are as
cheerful and happy as she is, and that is what is to be sought, a cheerful and
happy disposition.
Tell the boys that Dick and Guinea are still fast friends.
They travelled with us up into Dixie as far as Raleigh, and down into Ohio
after Morgan. Dick has a battle with each new rooster which is brought to headquarters,
and with the aid of Guinea, and perhaps a little from Frank or Billy, manages
to remain “cock of the walk.” . . .
Love to all — girls and boys. Tell Fanny [Platt] if she ever
gets time in her Yankee school to write to outsiders, I wish her to remember
me.
Affectionately ever,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
Columbus.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 431-2
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