Letter from James to Parents, January 18, 1864#

No. 6 from Texas — Point Isabel, Texas — January 18th 1864

Dear Parents,

I suppose before this reaches you, you will have received the money $190.00 I sent by Adams Express and $10 in a letter making, in all $200, quite a little pile. As I write this, I cannot help but think how pleased when the Express man hands you the big envelope filled with green backs, three fifty dollar bills and a roll of small bills. I find soldiering quite endurable, in fact quite pleasant, when I think every time I go to bed I have earned four dollars, that being about the pay per day. It is divided in this manner, 50 dollars a month, then 4 rations a day at 30cts, 35 dollars a month, then if I have a servant 10 dollars a month more and then 10 dollars a month for being in command of the Company and then commutation money, whatever that means, at any rate, 1st Lieutenant Comdg Company get his $120.00 per months, my pay amount to $256.63 and got paid in full up to the first of January and then $53.00 I got from the 176th Regiment, made me square with the Government up to the 1st of January with $309.63 in my pockets; I felt quite rich. I am going to try and save 100 dollars a month if possible. I will have to live very economically to do it. As an Officer has to keep up appearances and pay cash for everything he gets to eat and everything is enormously dear; butter for instance is worth 75cts a lb and other things in proportion. I had to pay $15.00 for a pair of boots in Brownsville. A few necessary articles of clothing which I had to get cost me $54.00. I have about $10 left which I think will last me until next pay day. I have not got the box yet but am in a fair way to get it soon. I have heard of it. It is as New Orleans but the Company has had no agent here until recently. I would like for you to take out $20.00 a month for the use of the family; that, with the board that Will and John will pay, I suppose will keep you comfortable. Only let me know how the account stands, that’s all. If Pa should need my money in business of any kind or think it advisable to invest in 5 $20 Government bonds, why don’t be at all backwards about using it, but sail in and win.

I have the utmost faith in Pa’s financial abilities, if he has the money to work with. I have fixed upon a certain sum, which, when I have obtained, I will resign if I can. I want to have money enough to carry me through two complete courses of Medical Lectures and board and clothe me in the meantime. As I sit in my cozy tent I imagine Will stretching himself before the fire telling long yarns about Houma and the days in which he and I used to ride our fast horses on Bayou Black, the skirmishes around Brashear City and his Battle of La Fouche Crossing and how he beat the Black woman at Md. Tanar Plantation at Terre Bonne out of Sunday meals and extras such as eggs and chickens; and now even Savannah’s nigs ran away to Tigerville; how diligently he sought for them in New Orleans. I received a letter from Sergeant Enders the other day, and two letters from home, he speaks of joining our Regiment. I wish he would, I would like to have him here very much, only if I was in his place I think I should stay at home. You need not tell him that though the charges against Colonel Dempsey were partially sustained, his sentence was two months, pay stopped and a reprimand from General Dana. I think it will make a better Officer of him. There is nothing going on in the military line very near us. I hear that the 13 Army Corps, under General Washburn, has landed at Corpus Christi and is making advances in the interior but I hear of no fighting of any importance. The Mexicans have had another revolution in Matamoras, had a fight and one party got whipped, no one seems to know or care which party. I wrote to you of a recent visit I made on Mexican soil; I can say I have been to Mexico. My men are learning to read fast, they seem to take great interest in it. They are supplied with books by the Christian Commission. This Christian Commission is a large thing in the Evangelical line. They have their agents all through the Army supplying it with reading matter and through the Grace of God are doing a great deal of good. This seems to be the only true way of benefiting the soldiers in that line. The Chaplains of the Army as a general thing are healthy old beats, if you know what that means; if not, Will can tell you. We have a very learned man and a good conscientious man, every Sunday morning at 10 o’clock he holds forth for an hour and a half and then disappears for the week; about the common everyday affairs of soldiers, he is a regular sap. It is difficult for me to imagine, it as being cold weather with you; it is so balmy and pleasant out here. I am sitting in my shirt sleeves now writing to you, not uncomfortably warm but just pleasant, about like a May morning with you. It is considered a very healthy climate and I believe it is among other peculiarities, some of which I have mentioned in my letters; it is the singular state of the air which seems to prevent petrifaction in animal matter. We have fresh meat hanging around a cook house continuously but I have never seen a piece yet that seemed affected by mortification. It seems to dry up if left long exposed to the atmosphere and dead cattle are scattered over the plain, partially eaten by wolves and buzzards but you very seldom detect any bad smell from them. I was much pleased with John and Durlyn’s letters. If they were out here they could see such singular specimens of sea birds as Goldsmith, in his animated nature, never dreamed of land birds are scarce, but when it comes to Cranes, Gramants, Pelicans and up in the Lagoons, Duck and Teal and such, this is the place where they abound. It seems to me though you did not get all my letters. I sent my parole home in a letter; I never heard anything of it. I wrote a long letter to Mr. Coombs, probably I have not had time to hear from him yet. I enjoy excellent health, have no been sick a day since I was on Ship Island. I have been trying ever since I left home to raise a moustache, but have regularly failed. So in disgust at my inability to raise hair on my face I have shaved clean, cut my hair short and look quite innocent and boyish. Send along a letter on Sunday morning occasionally.

Yours Affectionately,

James D. Wade

1st Lieut. Commd. FG 16th Corps d’Afrique