J.W. Henderson to Sarah A.M. Henderson (30 July 1862)

              Camp near Tupelo Mississippi

Wednesday evening July 30th,1862
Dearest Sallie, I am glad to say that I have just returned from Tupelo on fatigue duty and read your very kind letter of last Saturday, the 26th and as I will have a chance tomorrow to send a letter to Oxford, I will write some this eve - and finish in the morning. I have no doubt that you were sadly disappointed when you met your Uncle John at the fence thinking it was I. OH! dear, how glad I would have been, if it had been I. I know you could not have been gladder to see me than I would to see you, but alas! alas! This is a world of disappointment. If I had known certainly that we would have stayed here this long, I would have met you that day instead of your Uncle John, but was afraid to risk it as your uncle would not agree to leave with it if the regiment left. I am surprised that you were still up last Saturday, but you certainly have taken down ere this. I hope you have had an easy time and will be up again ready to write me another sweet letter in a few days. I am really glad that you have got company to stay with you all the time - hope she will prove a pleasant companion and fill my place till I get home and I hope that will not be very long, although the prospect of getting home soon now looks very gloomy indeed. I deeply sympathize with you in the very restless night you had last Monday night a week, but hope ere this that that little president has made his appearance and that he and you are both getting along finely. I will try and wait patiently till I get your next letter, although I can't say where I will be when I get it, we expect to leave in a day or two.