Corydon Feb. 6th 1863
Friday Night
Dear Cousin John:____
Your letter was received by
to - day's mail and I thought I would answer it
to - night, for if I wait any time after receiving
a letter, before I answer it, I generally put it off
until I am ashamed to write. Are you not
getting tired of winter or don't you have any
wintry weather down where you are? We had
been having such pleasant weather, until
a week or two ago, when we had a snow
storm lasting a day and night. The snow I
believe was about twenty - four inches deep
in level places and very much deeper in
the drifts, but the ground was so soft
that it did not lie long enough for us to
have any sleighing__ Day before yesterday
it snowed again and as the ground was
frozen it makes splendid sleighing. Helen
Attia and I were invited to an oyster supper
away up town, night before last, and as the
snow was too deep for us to walk there, the
gentlemen came after us in a sleight. We had
a very nice time indeed. Attia has been out
sleigh - riding to - night, she is fortunate in having a
beau who owns a sleigh, while mine are all gone
to the war, that is, if I ever had any. I suppose
a soldier's life is a very hard one, full of toil and
loneliness, but I have wished I expect a hundred
times since the war commenced that I could only
be a boy that I might go. Are you only a private?
You must hurry and get promoted, and be a
splendid officer that I may be proud of my
cousin. But then I am proud of any of my rela
tives who have had courage to go in the army
whether they be officers or the lowest privates. Helen
received a letter from Jasper a few weeks ago, I
believe she has not yet answered it.
We are commencing now to prepare for another
concert, but it is very likely we will not have it
until the first of next month. Our Society is
about out of money and we want to do all we
can for the soldiers. And this is the best way we
can find to get money.
Father went to Leavenworth yestarday, to attend court.
He will be back probably to - morrow or next day. We
Always feel somewhat lonesome when he is away, as
We have no men then about the house. We are
not afraid by any means, but still we lock
the house up very carefully when he is not here
for in these troublous time we donít know who
may be about us.
And now my dear Cousin, I want to ask you
something, but I do not want you to say anything
about it to anyone at all, not even Cousin James
now will you? Helena I believe is on the river
and probably you may see the gunboats etc.
passing up and down __ don't you? Do they ever
stop any time at Helena __ Did you ever notice
any by the names of "Chilicothe" or "Horner"?
The Horner belongs to the ram fleet, the other is a
gunboat and both are down the river between
here and Vicksburg. I am asking merely from
curiosity and if you have ever seen either of
them or know any person on board I wish
you would tell me. Please do not say anything
about it to anyone. Helen has just re
ceived a letter from Cal Andrews__ not much
news in it I believe. We heard from Cousin
Ethan not long ago, he has the rheumatism, but
as that is not quite so dangerous as balls
and bullets we do not feel alarmed about him.
I suppose it is about time for me to stop
writing. Give our love to Cousin James, and
when you write again tell me all about
yourself , and how you are situated etc. etc.
Write soon to us __So good - bye.
Yours truly etc. etc.
Relia Porter..