MCWL_106: Camp Upton, Newport News VA, Nov. 3, 1863; George W. Gould to his mother

Camp Upton

Newport News V.A. Nov. 3^rd 1863

Dear Mother

I received your letter of the 19^th yesterday and was glad to hear from you and would say that I am well and hope these few lines will find you all the same.

You’ll see by this that we have moved once more and have left the department of N.C. and now compose the reserve of the Army of the Potomac we are encamped on the old camping ground of General McClellan but how long we shall stay here is uncertain I expect we are now to see active service as we are now situated we are liable he ordered off at any time and to any place that they happen to want troops though we may stay here all winter I can’t tell a soldier don’t know one week where he will be the next for he is as liable hundreds of miles from there as he is to be there.

I must confess that I am about discouraged and I have been expecting to come this long time but now I don’t know when I shall get there if ever I do.

I had a letter from Leicester the other day they wrote the children were all well then Ada and Etta were going to school and Cora was as happy as could be they all seem to be contented they wrote that Ada seemed to feel the loss of her mother as much as any child of her age but they are hardly old enough any of them to realize the great loss they have met with they are well provided for at the present it was Mira wish that her Mother should take care of them until I got back and Mr. Mead kindly offered to have them come and I thought it would be better to have them all together I can’t bear the thought of their being separated I feel thankful to you for the kindly regard you seem to manifest for them but I know you have a large family of your own and I could not think of burdening you with any more they would be glad to come they used often to speak of Grandpa Goulds when I was at home and ask when we were going there again.

Mira was intending to come and make you a short visit in Sept. if she had lived that was what she wrote me in one of her last letters I’m going to send you one of her pictures in this thinking you might like to look at it once in a while I have one or two more out here with me.

But I must close this time my love to Father and all the rest any large share yourself and believe yours truly from your son George