Alexandria Va July 4th 1862
My darling
Hundreds of miles intervene
between us this morning, my love, when
if our feelings were consulted, we would
much prefer being much nearer each other.
Is it not so Addie? I tried in vain to
obtain a leave of absence for a few days: It
was of no use, the Secy. of War issued an
order prohibiting furlough,s and his order is
law. The motto “Law and Order,” is changed
and now reads “Orders are Laws.”
I received your letter of the 24th Past yesterday
and right glad was I too, and now I am going
to write you a good long letter in reply, and now
we have a chance. I am going to make up past
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deficiencies and write very often to my love
Addie. Now to commence I will scan over your
letter and make the answer then half finish in
my own odd way. Does it not do me as much
good to receive letters from you as you from me?
Of course it does my love and I write as often as
circumstances will permit and trust circumstances
will be more favorable then heretofore. Now I
[?] scolding in a scientific manner, having
been inured to it in “childhood days ” but when
it comes from my youth Addie I confess that I
feel pained, but think perhaps I deserve it and
would like to “kiss the hand which give the bow.”
My darling, I fear you suffer too much on ac-
count of Hallie and myself. I know it is a “cross”
to calmly say “God’s will be done,” but do not forget
that he holds the destinies of Nations in his hands
and that amid the multiplicity of national
difficulties, over which He presides, not even a
sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed. And
will he pass by unanswered, the prayers of his
children? No, my love. I have a definite [pre
monition?] —at least, so it seems to me–that
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that your prayers shall be answered. Be
strong, my darling, “as your faith is so shall
it be given you.” Is not this a golden assurance.
You ask of Edwin Williams. He is no more.
He died of Fever, several weeks since, and before
the engagement at [?]
You ask why Catholics will not permit their
children to read the Bible and still acknowledge the
supremacy of God. They would not be so averse
to it could they be assured that our and their
bibles are alike, but they are not. A vast differ
ence exists between the Vulgate or Latin bible (Catholic)
and the Martin Luther translation known and
reverenced as the bible. The aversion to Lutheran
principles is equally as strong as the antipathy to
Luther himself. In fact the reformation of Martin L.
was the vital deathblow to “Roman” — or as I call it,
perverted–Catholicism, and the defenders of the
mitred pope will know that the dissemination
of Christian principles as expounded by the great
reformers, would quickly crush the papal power,
hence, their aversion is attributed to ignorance, and
false teaching of the priests. Am I not a learned man?
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Now I am going to finish in my own style not
in the spread eagle, Bunker Hill, 4th of July ’76 style.
not in a learned disquisition upon the signs of the
times, nor in the humdrum style of an essayist.
To be sure we must revive the scenes of olden
times on hearing national salutes fired and “Dec. of I.”
read and it is pleasant to recall the happy days
of yore. But amid all the pleasures derived from
the celebration of our natal day, there is the sad pain
at heart arising from the fact that just now, the
green earth in many places is saturated with
the blood of thousands who have fallen in defence
of the independence we this day celebrate. Thousands
have died that our national integrity, our glorious
institutions, and our once happy Union might be
preserved intact. As we pray for the speedy
restoration let fitting honor be paid to those who
fell in the noble and heroic act. Requiescat in pace.
The guns of thirty forts on Arlington Heights have
thundered their honors to the republic this day and as I
sit here, and view the 2’s and 84’s of Fort Lyon,
Ellsworth and Worth, I think they are impatient to
be used in the holy cause of suppression of this unholy rebellion
remainder of letter from Charles Tenney of the 7th Ohio to Adelaide Case missing.
MSS 11616
