University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles N. Tenney to Adelaide E. Case, 25 November 1862

Does my chirography look
familiar to you? or has it been so long since
you had the pleasure of seeing a specimen that
you fail? But I have just recieved two
darling letters from you dated Nov. 9th & 16th, in
both of which you complain of not recieving a
letter from “Charley” for

I do
not wonder that you begin to feel alarmed about
him, but calm your fears my love, I am neither
dead nor changed, & I am enjoying better health
than I have for three weeks past, and am
steadily gaining, so that I think there is no
immediate danger of my demise nor consignment
to the Hospital.— I must apologize for not
writing within the past week as I promised
to do.— We have changed the Pro Marshal, and
with the change came a great deal of work for
“us four clerks”, and we have had to keep hard
at work from dawn of day until half past ten at night.
Thus you see but very little time for letter writing remained for us.
Will you not pardon me under the circumstances?

It is now ten at night, and the rain is falling
heavily— as it comes dashing down upon the
pavement, the sound awakens many thoughts
which might otherwise lie in the deep recesses of
the mind. No doubt but it snows heavily upon
the “Lake shore”, and you will soon enjoy all
the joyous pleasures of “Sleigh-riding.” Would I
could be with you. Darling—how much—Oh!
how much I wish to see you, to fold thee to my
heart and gaze into those loving eyes—the windows
of thy noble soul—to hear thy gentle voice as it in
accents full of love and tenderness, thou sayest

But the plash of the rain falls upon my ear
and I am “far away.”—the pleasure is denied me.
and I still toil on—a soldier in the good cause.

Addie—what would you say if I were to
accept a discharge from the Army, and should
come home? Would you say

, or would
you prefer that I should remain in the “Noble 7th”
until it comes home to Cleveland with in the “honors
of war”, and as one of the 1040 who who left Cleveland “for
the war”? Is it a funny question? But what
do you say? Perhaps I might get discharged, if I
should desire it.

Yes, I would have given much to have
been present at Laurie's wedding. God grant
she may be happy. Let us hope she may yet
love as she lives, and the past may be forgotten.

You committed no act calling my pardon
in reading my note to Hal, and as to the “question”
as you will imagine, I have long since made
up my mind. The time for enlisting has
passed, and I am yet a volunteer. Your
information regarding Hal's going to Mich. was
the first I had recieved. I thought it some-
what strange that I recieved no tidings from
him, but I hope soon to recieve a letter.

Although Gen. McClellan has been removed
I do not think his career is thus briefly ended.
The patient resignation and alacrity to obey even
such an unpleasant order, manifested by him
has gone very far to win himself many friends.

It is true that he sometimes was apparently inactive
but when a move was made, it was well made
and, as you remakrked Isnt-that-pretty?, he would have silenced all
slanderers by success, where they by their treason
defeated them him. I do not think Gen.
Burnside has been as “active” as many prophesied
nor do I think he will be soon, in point of
fact it is a difficult matter to move a body of
men as large as the Army of the Potomac, much
more so than a few thousand such as “Stonewall
Jackson's” army. and people will find it so.
But at all events, “Success to Gen. Burnside.”

But it is getting quite late, and yet it
rains. We will have muddy roads tomorrow
Oh! do tell me all about Thanksgiving-dinner
and all. How I would enjoy a piece of
mince or pumpkin pie, but I must content
myself with "Hard-tack, etc."