Wauzeka, Dec. 22, 1862.
Dear Husband:
I received your of the 13th inst today and make haste to answer.
It grieves me to hear that you have received none of our letters in such a long time, for I assure you we have written to you often -- not less than sixteen times within the last three months. You was not at Fort Scott quite long enough to get an answer to your first. You must know that it takes a month for a letter to go and another come. Some of yours have been three weeks coming. I directed, Gen. Blunt's Body Guard, Fort Scott, Kansas up to the time you told me to direct to the Hospital 3 (or 5?) times, Manley has written, Amos and Cordelia have written separately. I do not see why the letters are not forwarded. They surely ought to be. If it is a great comfort to a well person to hear from home, what consolation it must be to the invalid to have kind words from those he loves and those that love him; for we think of you every minute in the day, and a great many nights I have lain awake thinking of you since you have been sick, wondering if you had good care, and thinking of every thing that sick people need.
There was a man that enlisted about the same time that you did in Washburn's Cavalry, got this discharge a short time ago. He was an acquaintance of Fosters'. Stopped there on his way home. Said he was in the hospital in Saint Louis one hundred days. He said the sick were well taken care of there. He was so that he could sit up all of the time. His kidneys were affected. Manley's wife's brother has just returned home. His right shoulder is of no use to him. He was wounded last August -- dressed the wound himself. They wrote for him to come home as soon as the wound healed, but he thought he should get well and join his regiment again.
We get news from Manley often. I received a letter from his wife today and she got one from him yesterday. He has been well since he enlisted. He thinks he will come home after New Years. I told you in one of my former letters that Joseph Lemons was discharged on the account of his eyes. He was in the hospital a long time, but finally got his discharge. His eyes look well enough but he says he cannot see to sight a gun.
I suppose our army was awfully cut to pieces last week near Richmond. Report says 30 thousand killed and wounded. I hope it is not so bad as that; but we generally get as good news as it is the first time.
Now Pa, I shall expect that you will come home if you can get a discharge. I think the sooner the better. If you get well and like... I presume you can enlist again. God only knows when this war will end. But oh, how many widows and orphans are now in the land, mourning for those that they can never see again in this world. I think surely they will not fight much longer.
I must close, as it is late. The children are all in bed. No kisses for Pa from them tonight, so you must accept my love in their stead, and believe me, Yours as ever
Clarissa Mumford
(Of course this letter is to Charles N. Mumford. Probably reference to letters written by him will show where he was at this time. MJM)