February 6, 1863. Letter from Frank to Fanny Hall. Camp Near White Oak Church, Va.
Camp Near White Oak Church
Feb 6th 1863
My Own Dear Wify,
Your own hubby is very well indeed &
has heard from his own wify through Capt. Wood. He came last night, The box
has not yet arrived, He was obliged to send his things by express & they
are expected soon.
I have just finished a letter to Mr. Eddy
& send the check to him for $105, I have written him a long letter &
thanked him also for that dear little lamp. Yes dear Wify, use our journal
just as you want to: what I meant was that we would not want any feeling
about us like what we had about Henry Clay Trumble, but possibly our Plattsburgh
friends, knowing that all of us boys down here were piled in together sharing
the same might not give any room for such feeling as people in Hartford might
have had. Any way possibly it will not be well to say much about hubby's
exposures, but wify I leave it all for you to judge of it, do just what you
think best. If you think it will be well, do so my own one. Do just what
you think & Judge to be right. Read aloud just what portions of all or
any letter you desire. I only care for your sake & I know you will judge
rightly. Now, Wify, as to my health, I am very well indeed & this position
here has been of exceeding advantage in every way. Do not be anxious about
me. Can you not trust & think that God is preparing hubby for usefulness.
Look back over the whole, dear one. There is scarcely an item of knowledge
or experience attained from a varied life which does not seem to come up
& be of use to me. Don't let us look upon any time as heretofore lost
but as preparing hubby & wify for the work, for my position here as far
as regards the external of things.
I certainly have succeeded remarkably;
if God's Spirit only blesses the work all will be well. Wify did you mean
that in order to serve God in the Plattsburgh vineyard I can not remain here
& come home with the boys in May? Will somebody else be called to Plattsburgh
if I do not come immediately? What I mean is if God calls me to Plattsburgh
am I to come immediately. I am ready to do anything that God decides. Humanity
viewing the subject, it would seem to be prejudicial of me if I should resign
now. But hubby wants to do & rejoices to do just what his Master says.
Mr. Meyers has written me a sweet letter. I am thinking & preparing to
answer him. Of course, I dearly want to come to Plattsburgh.
Good by own one with dear love from your
own dear ever loving hubby.
Franky.