The Civil War Letters Suffolk, Virginia June 5, 1863

Suffolk Va June 5th 1863

My Dear Wife

i write to you to inform you that i am in good health at present but i am in rather bad spirits  i have been greatly Disappointed in not getting my Furlough  i fully expected to get one  i had one wrote out and sighned by my Captain and Colonal  but Gen Dix Disaproved it and would not grant it so i am doomed not to see my Darling wife and child for some time to come.  My Dear Wife  i would have loved to come home and see you and our dear lovly child but i must put up with Disapointment  Dear Wife  it is very hard to be away from you so long but i hope that God will protect us both that we may live to meet again and live togather for many happy years

Dear Maggie  our Regiment have so much duty to do and so much Scouting that sometimes i do not have a chance to write to you as often as i would like to do  So if you should be a couple of weeks with out receiving a letter from me you must not be uneasy about me for i will always write once per week when i am in camp  but sometimes we are out for two weeks at a time  i have been expecting a letter from you this last day or two  perhaps i will receive one from you by this evenings mail  i hope so for i love to read your kind loving letters  the happyest moments i have spent since i have been a Soildier is when i am reading your Affectionate letters.

our company came of Picket this morning  last night our outpost was attacked by a lot of Reb infantry  the first thing we knew of them they Poured a volly of musketry in to us from the woods but they only succeded in killing one man and one horse  the man killed was John Burton  he is in your Brothers squad  he has some friends living at Cardington by the name of Whitley  the Poor fellow had 3 Balls through his Body.  he is about 22 years of age  as soon as the Rebs fired they Broke for the woods and was lost in the darkness.  this is about the way the Rebs about here do there fighting

My Dear Wife  i have no news to send you  i hope this will find you and Lizzie injoying the Very Best of health  i would Dearly love to see you Both but i cannot for the present  Keep up a good heart Maggie  another 12 months will soon pass away and then you can look for me coming home to you never more to leave you while life remains to us boath.

Give My Love to Jane  Your Mother and all the family.  and give Dear Lizzie a kiss for me and a thousand for yourself

My Very Best Love to You  i remain as Ever
Your Affectionate Husband
William Lancaster

Write Soon

Please send me a few Postage stamps and oblige Yours truly
William Lancaster

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