B.F. Batchelor Letter Fragment, April 1862

[fragment from Frank to Julia]

back with Joe McClure, whose wound recd at Shiloh is still severe & will probably end his life-As this is an important point I think the enemy will make another effort (& a strong one) to capture it, but keep your faith in God & entertain no fears for they only distress & do no good. My darling I would that it were in my power to express my devotion for you fully, but it cannot be conveyed through the cold medium of words-every hope is centered in your happiness & that of our cherub babe. My heart beats wildly at the thought of holding my Julia again to my aching breast & my letters seem to tame in comparison with my boundless affection that I'm often tempted to tear them up but I cannot put on paper the full depth of a love which absorbs my entire nature-for other eyes than my idols might read & failing to appreciate or understand its depth talk to our desparagement. You say when this cruel war ends & we are restored to each other again our married life will if possible be happier than before-it never can be happier than mine has been & I know it will always remain at the same heavenly standard. I rejoice to hear you speak of devoting our lives to the service of our Redeemer for it is through his goodness thus far that m life has been preserved & if permitted to return it will still be through his mercy-surely then in our hour of joy we should remember daily the bountiful giver-I am delighted to hear that our dear brother is so rapidly improving & look forward to the time when arm in arm we will walk over the green hills of Oakland and talk of camp bygones, hair breadth 'scapes &c-I can talk to dear George as I can to no other man for he takes pleasure in believing my yarns however marvelous they might sound to less partial ears. But tell the boy to remain in Texas where his services may be needed & if not he can assist Pa in keeping things straight at home & accounting in a philosophical way for every thing that may arise to disturb & disquiet my over anxious love about the safety of her old man-I dont think this war can be of much longer duration; starvation is pressing upon the poor laborers of Europe-they will clamor for intervention & these strong interests of Europe for cotton & a balance of power by a division of this once collossal Republic will speedily prevail-I do not say this darling to merely cheer you up-I thank God my wifes patriotism needs no false hopes to stimulate her in our separation-but I say it because it is the result of my deliberate judgment. O! thou swift messenger time speed the now seemingly tardy hours that seperates me from her I so dearly love-I should be glad to have Teenie stay with you should the conscript law call her husband away-I am sure you will like her the better by acquaintance. With love to all I submit these lines to the precarious keeping of a traveler to Texas hoping they may reach destination-Your affectionate husband

Frank

Rugeley, H. J. H. ed. Batchelor-Turner Letters, 1861-1864. The Steck Company, Austin, TX 1961.