church is prospering.  I should love O, how much, to be with you but as you truely say that cannot be, at least for the present.  I do hope that before another year shall have passed away that I will be permitted to enjoy all these blessings with you.  My Dear Wife you can Judge by your own feelings how anxious I am to get home again, sometimes I get almost homesick & then I look at my country, & its condition, & when I hear so many talking about wanting out of the service & when I hear of treason at home in my own state & all over the North, I feel like standing the firmer by the old flag, now while it is insulted on all sides.  Yes I want to see the stars hung out when there is none who dare insult it.  Our stars are the only ones that decorate the national emblem of any country.  We were the first people to paint the stars on a national flag.  Our fathers founded our government, on a solid basis, & looked up for the blessing.  We will bless their memory & perpetuate the blessings their sacrifices secured for us.  I see that before Congress adjourned it conferred great powers on the President an almost unlimited amount of money & all the men that are necessary to speedily terminate the war.  O, if the president only had honest men to execute his plans, how soon could they wind this thing up.  Well I must walk around & see the country & this mighty River, whose bosom will yet swell with the riches of the great N.W.  I will write some more before I close.  good bye Dear
