James Nicholson to Mary A. Nicholson - November 16, 1861

Miss M. A. Nicholson,
Bastrop, Texas.

Hospital near Bowling Green, Ky.,
Nov. 16th, 1861.

My Dear Daughter-
It was a great relief to my bodily sufferings to receive your kind letter- and pleased was I to learn you were all well.

William is here all day and will be tonight as one of the details to wait on the sick. This is a great consolation to me as I see him every now and then and he is so willing to assist me in attending on things appertaining to the Hospital- some nurses are proud you have such a brother. Have no fear of him ever acquiring any bad habits by examples. He is non-contaminate in that it only strengthens him in his firmness to be good and virtuous without any parade or swearing.

Another thing I would advise you all not to fear so much the dangers of the Battle field, if you compare the numbers slain in battle to the numbers engaged it ought to dispel them. For my part I trust the same Ruling Power which has guided me safely through so many perils and dangers will not desert him and I now.

You seem to be all very industrious-you young and old ladies preparing comfortable clothing for us wanderers from home. Why, my dears, we are all pretty well off and a sweet letter is worth a whole batch of clothing and warms our hearts more than the thickets coverlid could give warmth to our body, and when the heart is warm what care we for the effect of a little frost or snow on the body-if the limbs are sound any industrious man can soon give warmth to the body- and if he is not an industrious or energetic man why let him suffer.

You think, Molly, we would be pleased to eat some of your puddings, dumplings or cakes. Well, we would be more pleased were you here and eat some of our rough made biscuits with the same kind of appetite we have. Why your cakes would bear no comparison-for your gastric juice would flow with such a stream that it would nearly wash down a biscuit without mastication and the fattest pork fried in fat would be sweeter than any honey or preserves. Then remember the fine apples we get- then judge who is the best off in the eating line.

This is late at night-had no rest all day-my foot is more swelled- orders just come to move part of the sick in the morning to Nashville, so have not time to cut out so many extracts as I would wish.

It is resolved by the young men if any of you girls get married during their absence- you have to be suspected of Union Proclivities- and to be Court Martialed on their return.

Your affectionate Father,
James Nicholson.

Jones, Margaret Belle, ed. Bastrop; a compilation of material relating to the history of the town of Bastrop, with letters written by Terry Rangers. Bastrop: NP. 1936.

---