Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

Washington D.C. November 3, 1863

My Dears

Your last letter is just here I have head ache this morning & only reply that you may know how I am.

Perhaps it will be best to take Julia from her studies, but it seems a great pity to do it, if her health will permit her to go on—Give her what outdoor ex-ercise you can during this mild weather.

You have attended to all those money matters I suppose of which I wrote

Dr. Marks has now come & I shall go out w the army to-morrow, D.V., to remain about a

[G CNS] I hope Charles will talk quite plain when I come back, & that Julia will have have learned to read some. Tell her that her father ^loves her very much &^ wants to have her learn. Be especially careful about their eating green fruit. I suppose you will have been to Winsted before receiving this & expect to hear you tell of having a pleasant time. Write me all about every thing. Give particulars of the Revival there & also write all you hear from S. Boston good, bad or indifferent. I shall correspond only with you as I must avoid writing all I can (only as I intend writing Deac. Samuels & the Sabbath School over). Direct your letters as we planned, (through Baker & Monsell of Boston) untill you hear again. I find everything pleasant on board the ship. All are especially kind to me & the Captain seems to understand his business perfectly. It is wonderful how skillful all hands are in working the vessel & how strait the course to his place of destination. When we made Fair Island (the first land ^we saw, one of^ the Orkneys) she was pointed exactly right. It was, so when we came in sight of the Hage, also the Scar at the entrance of the Cattegal. ^(19^th)^ We had a bad night last night among these shoals and locks it being dark and rainy -- but this morning the wind became fair & we are soon expecting to see Elsinore. Our stop there will be but half an hour & then on into the Baltic. Our ship is very vast & the Capt. is desirous of getting there the first out this Spring. I suppose we have gone past 300 vessels since we started, which were coming the same way as ourselves, 150 at least since we entered the Cattegal. You can hardly have any idea of the number of vessels in these waters. Some 50 or 75 are now in sight -- most of them large vessels -- & going to some place up the Baltic.(7 ^oC p.m.) The wind died away a few hours, & we supposed we we should not get in this evenging, but it springs up fresh again & we shall soon be there if nothing happens to prevent. I had dropped my pen, but now after tea resume it again. (You would smile to see our tea table but everything is very nice.). I am not sick at all now, though we have rocked about a great deal since yesterday -- nor has my head ached any to day. Ezra is quite well & sends his kind regards. He has his violin along & a number of music books & we

great prosperity—Ten schools are already organized in Savannah—& I have done much to introduce our literature among all the schools here in Beau-fort & on the islands adjacent.

Besides this, the army work I have put in shape both directly, & through the Christian Commission— What do you say to coming to Savannah to live? We will talk about it when I get home. Sammy might be a well boy in this beautiful climate. Julia will soon finish her schooling & be ready to teach, music too, I hope, and be

here at present by preliminaries—But am in good quarters. Gen.l Howard is very kind & does all I ask of him. Mrs Howard is with him, a nice little woman—They expect to live in Washington, with children &c as their home, Maj. Whittlesey also has wife here, but she does not stay long—The Maj is to go to N. Orleans[ This she does not like very well as it will seperate them very effectually—

You write to Julia I suppose—Give my love to her & all, & will her to be a good girl—Do you learn how our friends at 277 get along? Let me know—You will write me often—Direct to this place—Washington care Genl Howard at present—or, better perhaps to Soldiers Free Library

I have been at work quite hard & my head aches—so please excuse me.

Yours very affectionately J. W. Alvord

I sent Julia her waist this morning also mailed a letter to her. The weather has changed much cooler. Lizetta is just starting for Greenwich Uncle Isaac came down and wanted her to return with him she will come back Friday I shall look for Mr. Alvord tomorrow or next day I suppose you will wait now till you hear from him, could you not come in the boat from Bridgeport the fare is 50 cts and connects now with the trains—Cant you come here first? Yours in haste

Anna Received your letter this morning