Life at Home

This letter, dated April 27, 1863, from Elizabeth McGee McCartney to her husband while he was involved in the Vicksburg campaign was, like the previous two, not included in the book.

Dear Husband

I again take up my pen to scratch you a few lins to let you know how we are gitting a long in this lonesome place I mean it is lonesome to me well it is morning and I have got my breakfast and have set down to finish this letter to you I have just got the letter you sent by Gray and I got a letter by male and I was glad to git them but they was not long a nuf to please me but I will not grumble at you as you are so good to wright to me as often as you do I got them in the morning and it will be digested before time to go to bed

You know that there is all ways something the matter with me all the time so I have got a sore finger but it is not awful so you nead not be uneasy

Well I have bin to hicks and got the dead and went to pay the taxes and Corius says they have not bin assessed and so we do not have to pay them I payed the taxes on the pirsnal property it was ninety-five cents I went to see Green and gave him the note and took his reiet that he sined the one you sent but rote on it deducting $31.88 cents that was of the credit we was in Daneses store then I went to Mrs Daneses and got some trimming to go on my bonet you know that I got it done over last summer and was so sick all the time that I never had it trimmed

I will try to be as saveing as I can why don’t you tell me who is owing you so when I have to git some one to work I can git them Flecinger is gon and his family and evry thing he has and I don’t know where he went to

I am so tired I can hardly hold the pen you say I must wright often to keep in practice do you think I do better than I did when you left I know I wright a good deal faster than I could when you left You say that your letters does not interest anyone but myself I do not know how that is but they are always full of interest to me no matter how long nor how often they come you say you want to sleep with my likeness but I don’t think it will do you any good if you do not git your comition come home but git the office if you can for I do not like to see you beat if it can be helped