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Letter from George Washington Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 29 June 1862
Camp Potter Newbern N.C.
June 29th /62
Dear Mother
You see by this that we are still here at Newbern, but I think by the appearance of things, that we will leave here in the course of a few days.
We have orders to be ready to start at short notice, but there is no deffinite time for us to leave mentioned in the orders, which looks to me as though it was intended for us to wait until the ball is fairly opened at Richmond, and then I think we will make a rush on Goldsborough or Kingston 1 or some of the rest of the interior towns in this State. We know nothing certain however of our destination but wherever we go the Rebels had beter Skedaddle for the Burnside Expedition does not stop for trifles. I received your letter dated June 14th also one from Walt dated June 10th and expected to get one by the mail which arived here yesterday but nary a letter was there for me. I got several papers houever.
Mother I wrote to you a few days ago about Han's comeing home, I hope you received the letter and have writen to her. You ask me to write if Capt Savage is here, you dont say what Regt he belongs to, there is no such man in this Regt, (or is he in the Naval Service[?]) and I have never heard of him about here.
Mother I wish we could be paid before we leave here as it is so handy to send money from this place there will be two months pay due me, day after tomorrow and I intend to send home 125 dollars or more, so you must not let Money maters trouble you at all.
Has Andrew writen to you since he went Sogering. 2 Poor Bunkum I wonder how he is getting along, what Co is he in I wish he would write to me.
Well Mother it is now after 11 Oclock at night and I begin to feel sleepy so I will stop writing and go to sleep. So good night Mother. Give my love to all, and write soon.
G. W. Whitman
About the Text
The text presented here is derived from Jerome M. Loving, ed., The Civil War Letters of George Washington Whitman (Durham, North Carolina: Duke State University Press, 1975). For a detailed description of discrepancies between this electronic edition and the print source, see our statement of editorial policy .
The manuscript of this letter, dated June 29, 1862, is held in the Trent Collection of Walt Whitman Manuscripts, Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library .
For more information on the letters of George Washington Whitman, see Jerome M. Loving's introduction to the print edition.
Notes
1. Kinston. (Back)
2. See Letter from George Washington Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 9 June 1862. (Back)
Whitman Archive ID
duk.00321