The Civil War Letters White House, Virginia June 30, 1863

White House Va June 30th 1863

My Dear Wife

i wrote a letter to yuesterday and have not had a chance to send it away yet and have just received your very kind letter of the 23d and i am very glad to hear that you are still injoying good health as i am in the very Best of health at present although i have to live on hard tack and sleep with the sky for my roof for sleeping in tents is played out.

Dear Maggie  i am glad that Lizzie is doing so well and as you say in your letter i hope the next year will pass around as swift and safe as the last two have but God alone knows what will happen this next 12 months  but i think as long as i have a loving wife to pray for me i will be all right  and Maggie  i never lay me down on the cold ground to sleep without asking Gods Blessing and protection and i always try to do what is right and proper  and i hope to live to see my time out so that i can come home and live the rest of my days with my Dear Wife

Maggie  i suppose you think me very queer on account of me not wishing you to come to see me  but Maggie if i loved you less than i do i might ask you to come  though i would love dearly to you  but camp is a place for nothing but soilders and i do not want you to think that i love you any less for what i have said  i have tried 3 or 4 times to get a Furlough to come home to see you but i never had the luck to get one

i must now close my letter for i dont know whether you can read it or not  i have such a bad pencil

Give my Love to all the Family

My Very Best Love to you My Dear Wife
 i Remain as Ever
Your Affectionate Husband
William Lancaster

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