Eliza Woolsey Howland to her husband, Joe.
Floating Hospital,
Off White House, May 27.
Still not a word from you for a fortnight now. I am beginning to be very hungry, — not anxious, only hungry, for letters. I only hear in indirect ways that our division was near the Chickahominy a day or two ago and was ordered to march into Richmond the next morning; and again yesterday that the whole army was to move in light marching order, leaving wagons and tents behind the Chickahominy. I dream about it all, and wonder, but know nothing. . . . We moved to the Knickerbocker from the Small and found a great state of confusion consequent upon having the Elm City emptied into it. . . . The event of this evening is the return of the old Daniel Webster, which we all look upon as a sort of home. … Dr. Grymes always invites us over “home” when he arrives in it, and we had a very nice dinner with him to-day. He rose as we came in and said, “I give you welcome where you have a right.” Mrs. Trotter returned in the Webster and Mrs. Baylies, Mrs. Bradford and Miss Mary Hamilton came down from New York this time. The two latter are to stay, and be replaced on the return trip by some of our force who want to go home. The Webster brought us more bundles and stores from home and lots of letters and papers.
