April 12, 1863

As I sit beneath the flickering glow of this modest candle, the weight of longing settles heavily upon my heart. The war rages on, relentless and unyielding, yet it is not the boom of the cannons nor the clash of steel that troubles me most—it is the unbearable distance between us.

Your last letter was a balm to my weary soul. I read it so many times the ink is nearly faded, and still, I trace your words with my fingers, as if doing so might bridge the miles between us. Oh, how I miss you, my love. I long to feel the warmth of your hand in mine, to lose myself in the depths of your eyes, to hear your laughter carried upon the summer breeze.

The nights here are cold, and though I am surrounded by my comrades, the loneliness is suffocating. I dream of our home, of the way the morning sun spills through our bedroom window, casting golden light upon your hair. I imagine the scent of lilacs drifting in through the open shutters, the soft rustling of the willow tree outside. I carry these memories with me as armor, shielding me from the darkness of war.

The battle at Antietam left many of us with wounds both seen and unseen. I have come to understand that courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to go on despite it. It is the thought of you, Eleanor, that gives me such strength. I fight not only for country and honor but for the promise of a future with you. When I close my eyes, I see you waiting for me at the gate, your arms open, your smile radiant. That vision is what keeps me moving forward.

I pray that you are well, that the war has not touched our town too cruelly. Have you been tending the roses by the porch? Do they bloom as beautifully as they did last spring? My heart aches to be there, to see them with you, to press a fresh blossom into your hair and tell you that you are lovelier than all the flowers in the world combined.

If fate is kind, I shall return to you before the autumn leaves fall. Until then, hold me in your heart as I hold you in mine. Know that no force on this earth, not war nor time nor distance, could ever diminish my love for you.

Yours forever,Jonathan