Camp Necessity La.
Grand Ecore & Texas Road
Aug. 31st 1844
My Dear Julia
Your two letters of July and August have just been recieved and read you can scarsely immagine with how much pleasure. I have waited so long for an answer to my three letters (I have written you three times Julia one of them you probably had not time to get when you wrote yours) that I began to dispare of ever recieving a line from you; but it come at last and how agreeable the surprise! Take example in punctuality by me Julia, I have rec’d your letters only to day and now I am answering them. But I can forgive you since the tone of your last letter, the one in pencil, is so conclusive of constancy. I am sorry to hear that Mrs. Dent thinks there is nothing serious in our engagement with me nothing is more serious or half as pleasant to think of—Since the arrival of your letters I have read them over and over again and will continue to do so until another comes. I have not been into Camp Salubrity yet to deliver to Mr. Hazlitt verbally the messages you sent him, but I wrote him a note this morning containing them. Mr. Hazlitt has been quite unwell for a few days past—You probably have heard from Mr Porters letters that for the last three weeks my company have been road making—The day we came out it rained very hard all day—the men had heavy Knap sacks to carry through the mud and rain for a distance of about five miles and no shelter to go under at the end of their journey—My fare was just the same only I had nothing but myself to carry—The first night we had to lay our wet beds on the still damper ground and make out the best we could—Musketoes and Wood ticks by the hundreds pestered us—On the whole I spent a few miserable nights and not much better days at the begining of my first experience at campaigning, but now I find it much better—We will probably be through and return to Camp Salubrity in ten days more—I have just rec’d a letter from Fred, he is about my most punctual correspondent, he speaks of Louise Stribling. I think she certainly is not married nor wont be unless she gets Fred—Fred is very well but hartily tired of Fort Towson—He proposes that him and me should each get a leave of absence next Spring and go to Missouri I would accept his proposal but I intend going sooner—I shall try very hard to go in the Fall—The happiness of seeing you again can hardly be realized, and then like you I have so much that I would like to say and dont want to write.—Julia do tell me the secrets that Georgia M disclosed to you—I think I can guess them from what follows in your letter—Georgia M is a very nice modest and inexperienced girl and can very easily be made to believe anything her oldest sister tells her—I know very well that Fanny has told her that I was in love with her and she foundes her reasons for thinking so upon what took place at you house—You remember the occurrence of the apple seeds? Fany has tried to find out from Mr. Hazlitt which I loved best Georgia or Julia—Mr. Hazlitt would not tell her which he thought because to please her he would have to tell what he believed to be a story, and to have said you (as he believed though of course he new nothing about certain) he thought would give an unnecessary offense. Hazlitt told me of the conversation he had and it displeased me so much with Miss F. that I said things of her which I would not commit to paper—Believe me my dear Julia what ever Miss Georgia may have told you she no doubt believed herself, but in believing she has allowed herself to be the dupe of one older than she is, but whose experience in love affairs, ought to be worth a great deel more than it is.—Tell me what she said in your next letter—Dont let Mrs. Dent see this part of my letter for of all things I dont like to have to speak ill of a third person, and if I do have to speak so I would like as few as possible to know it.—I am very far from having forgotten our promise to think of each other at sun seting—At that time I am most always on parade and no doubt I sometimes appear very absent minded—You say you were at a loss to ascribe a meaning to the blank lines in my first letter! Nothing is easyer, they were only intended to express an attachment which words would fail to express Julia do not keep anything a secret from me with persons standing in the relation that we do to each other there should be no backwardness about making any request—You commenced to make a request of me and checked yourself—Do not be affraid that any thing you may request will not be granted, and just think too the good you might do by giving good advice—No one is so capable of giving good advice as a lady, for they always practice just what they would preach—No doubt you have laid down to Fred. just the course he ought to take, and if he follows the advice he must do well—How fortunate he must feel himself to have a sister to correspond with I know I should have been proud to have had such a one to write to me all the years of my absence. My oldest sister is old enough to write now and I intend to direct all my home letters to her—She loves you and Ellen already without ever having seen you just from what she has heard me say—You say Julia that you often dream of me! do tell me some of your good ones; dont tell me any more of the bad ones; but it is an old saying that dreams go by contraries so I shall hope you will never find me in the condition you drempt I was in—And to think too that while I am writing this the ring I used to wear is on your hand—Parting with that ring Julia was the strongest evidence I could have given you (that is—in the way of a present) of the depth and sincerity of my love for you—Write to me soon, much than the last time and if Mrs. Porter is not there, or not writing at the time take a little ride and put your letter in the Post Office—On the road think of some of the conversations we used to have when we rode out together
Most Truly and Devotedly Your Lover
ULYSSES
To Julia
P S I think in the course of a few days Julia I will write to Col. Dent to obtain his consent to our correspondence; I will ask nothing more at present but when I get back to St. Louis I will lay the whole subject before him Julia do not let any disclosed secrets such as Miss Georgia told you, make you doubt for a moment the sincerity depth & constancy of my feeling, for you and you alone out of the whole acquaintance. Find some name beginning with “S” for me Julia You know I have an ‘S in my name and dont know what it stand for.
U.S.G.
P.P.S. Tell Ellen that I have not been into Camp yet to see the playthings she sent Mr. Hazlitt but I will go tomorrow morning if I have to walk. I think there is no danger of us quarreling since we have agreed so long together; but if we do get into a scrape I will let her know it. Remember me to Miss Ellen, Mrs. Porter Mrs. Mary Dent and your Fathers family all.
USG