George Q. Turner to his sister & Mrs. Wilkins - December 29th, 1861

Nashville
Dec 29th 1861

My Dear Sister And Coz--

I have just received a letter from you (Julia) forwarded from Camps making two I have, since I have been here. And here let me whisper to both of you by way an introduction to what is to follow. We fully appreciate your solicitude for our bodily comfort, but have now the satisfaction of being able to relieve your anxiety in that particular as the dear old Mustang State has sent us as much warm clothing and bedding as we can carry. But there is a way you can help and comfort the inner man as surely and as well as our material welfare is provided for. It is by taking notes of passing events and gossip during the week and posting them up into a ledger-letter. By doing so you would be sending the value of a garment or blanket by mail and at much less cost of time and tin, than by stitching for us even with your (Eugenia's) Wheeler & Wilson's-fast. Such documents are of great value in Camps and circulate sometime between us before we can discount them. Why I would not take a pair of unmentionables apeice for these two old letters now. Just now, my dear Coz and Sis, I had rather you would warm our hearts than our backs and as often as you can spare time to attend to us. Nor ought we excuse Manlius from his contributions to the "belligerent" part of the family, in the way of his sign-manual, a sight of which just now would do me more good than all the physic I have swallowed for a week. I am still slowly recovering, but greatly reduced & ematiated. I am attend my Jackson's family Physician one of the first in the City. he thinks I will have to go home before I can recover. Home influence and association does more for this disease he says than any other. But I can't give up my soldiering yet and I can't bear to leave Frank. I hear today that they have been releived of their scout duty and have come back to our old quarters at Bowling Green. they have been hard to work since the fight dodging around the Yanks and watching them sleeping every night with their boots on and their horses saddled. I hope I may be able to join them before they go to work again.

I want you (Eugenia) to let me know where your father lives I may accidently stumble on him in my Tennessee travels. I am staying with very pleasant people and at a beautiful place. It is situated on a high hill over looking the river and city, the grounds are not enclosed with a fense but cut down all around and walled up making it a great green terrace, so high that standing at the bottom of the front steps you can just see the tops of the carriages as they go by the gates. My room is in the basement very warm and comfortable, about three feet under ground with a high broad window in which are the madam's rarest exotic flowers. A magnificent japonica bloom out for me Christmas morning. Dan Russell though much the sickest man has recovered and gone back to Camps while I linger along a very little better every day. Col Jackson has been quite sick for the last two weeks so Mrs. J and I have had a very sober quiet Christmas. I have made many charming Lady acquaintances among whom is the pretty little widow Mrs. Dr. McCombs formerly of Gonzales, and three lovely sisters the Misses Edmonson great neices of Mrs J the two eldest have been over to see us and gave me a pressing invitation to spend Christmas with them in the Country, but I had the fear of a big dinner before my eyes and declined. They are neices of Judge Oldham's of Austin and cousins of the widow Nice so celebrated at Columbus. The first-born named Mary is considered the prettiest girl in Nashville and as my Doctor tells me to find something that will amuse me and make me forget my stomache, I have a notion to practice on her great black eyes. I can't but win let the result be what it may, for if I get kicked I recover my digestion and if I win I shall bring home a wife instead of a puff of glory. There are many lions about the City of which I shall write when I have been able to visit them. Hoping to hear soon and constantly from you both. And with all my love to all, admitting of course our new relation Cousin Lucy to our happy circle with her devoted "hubby"--minus, poor fellow, his bachelor libertys.

I shall walk to town this morning as an experiment and mail this. Kiss the chillun for me

Affectionatly yours
Geo Q Turner

To Mrs H Eugenia Wikins
and Mrs Julia A Batchelor

Turner, G. Q., "Batchelor-Turner Letters, 1861-1864," annotated by H. J. H. Rugeley. The Steck Company, Austin, TX 1961.