Lieut Robert S. Edwards
48 Reg^t N York Volunteers

Robin my boy

     I have your letter from Fort Pulaski of the 23d Nov^r & am glad enough to get one from you — The mournful news brought by the last mail of Burnsides defeat at Fredricksburgh has filled all our hearts with sadness — It would have been doubly hard to bear had I not received a line from you —
     I note with much interest what you say about the black regiments — I theoretically have faith in them, you on the spot can judge better what they actually are worth — I think that they can be made good soldiers and that if your aim be to secure a footing permanently military that a command in one of these regiments would be likely to effect it —
     You say that you should try to get a commission in the Potomac army — better stay (with your)

with your present regiment I should say — The 48 is I see well spoken of as to efficiency & drill, and the object you once wrote me about, trying to have a good influence on the men would I should think be much lost sight of if you were to leave those with whom you have been associated Besides you could hardly take a place in a good regiment in the field without exciting in that regiment the same feelings which you experienced when Gov Morgan [i.e., Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of New York, 1859-1862] sent those outsiders to the 48 —
     But all this will be settled long ere you get my letter — I know you will do your duty wherever you are —
     Nellie is very well and sends you lots of love — Katy is teething and not quite so sunny in her temper just now as we would like to see our pet —
     We do not yet dare to make any plans about returning — I have this house on lease till the close of '64 & of course shall not

think of leaving before that time & do not now calculate upon it then. Time will show what I may be able to do I should like a trip home in '65 but "quien sabe" — Business now is in such good train that I should feel better able to give up the helm than for years back. Still M^r Palmer's turn [i.e., Horatio Nelson Palmer, of Peele, Hubbell, & Co.] comes before mine and I must wait his going & returning before I can move
     Youngs [illeg] writes me that we are to have a war with England, if so my cake is dough & I may as well make up my mind to live die & be buried in Manila — However I have heard wolf so often that I am not easily frightened
     By the 'Cyclone' to leave this week for New York Ned & myself send you, W^m & Anthony another lot of Cigars — Those we send you p 'Independence' were lost in the wreck of that vessel I hope these will not fall into the hands of M^r Davis

privateers —
     Did you see the pleasant paper in the Dec^r Atlantic by D^r Holmes "my search after the Captain — Nellie read me part of it last night & I enjoyed it hugely —
     So M^r Rogers & Fan move up the North River and take a farm — Well that has always been my idea of what I should like when I returned from the East, to have a good farm & be able to lose money on it, for I never heard of a gentleman farmer who did not sink money in his amusement.
     I suppose thirty thousand dollars would buy me a good place not too far from the centres of civilization and then with something outside to enable me to live independently of the farm & as I say spend a little on my hobby I think we could get along — Hurrah for air castles — Ever most affectionately your brother

Ogden E. Edwards