J. S. Walker's Twenty-Sixth Letter

Camp DeSoto,

10^th Sept., 1861

My very dear Wife:

                As an opportunity occurs of my writing by Lieut. Rady, who goes up this evening, I avail myself of it to advise that my health is very excellent, and tho not as comfortably fixed as at Kings Mill, yet sufficiently so. I miss my plank floor, as the dirt keeps everything about us dirty. We are here prepared and preparing to give old Gen. Wool a warm reception should he be disposed to come out of Old Point. There is still a good deal of sickness on the Peninsular, principally chills and fever, but I think the health is improving and hope frost will restore it entirely.

                We are anxiously looking for cheering news from the Potomac, while we know it must bring sadness to many, and our prayer is for success and the preserving care of the Lord to our troops against the invading foe, and I hope the prayers of all good people ascend continually for the Lord’s favour and smiles, and that while he chastises us by war he will purify, revive and conduct us to himself as a peculiar people.

                If you have anything to send down at this time, Lieut. Rady will come down in ten days and will take charge of it. You can write and direct Capt. Jno. S. Walker, 15^th Regt. Va. Vols., Camp DeSoto, Yorktown, and I will get it.

                Kiss the dear children and remember me to all friends.

                                                Yours very affectionately,

                                                                Jno. S. Walker

Trying to get Back in Butternut

Hello butternut fans!

I’m sorry things have been a bit quiet around the blog lately. I’ve been busy moving house. The move itself went quite smoothly, although there have been lots of little problems with the house that have needed attention. After three weeks, it is just starting to feel like home.

However, there is one major problem I haven’t been able to fix. At the moment, I have no phone and no internet. The phone company botched their first attempt, and then said they couldn’t return for a month (thanks). They are due back on December 22 to try again. I must admit, the thing I want most for Christmas is a working phone and internet connection.  At the moment, I am using a pay-as-you-go internet dongle. It’s better than nothing, but only just. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’m hoping it will work well enough that I can get back on track with butternut blogging. In the next day or so, I’ll be posting the next letter from John Stewart Walker. It appears that he might have received the chance to go home to Richmond and see his family. His next letter is written over two weeks after the last and from a different camp, but he makes no reference to the move nor mentions coming home.