[1]    The letter that Goodrich wrote to his sister Augusta stretched the truth a good deal. Goodrich’s business was a saloon, not a grocery. It read:

August 7, 1864    Little Rock [Arkansas]

My dear Sister [Augusta]. I had waited so long before receiving an answer to my letter that I had almost begun to believe that you were acting toward me as many others have done since the Federal Army brought me to light by taking possession of this town. But I console myself this way, that the fewer the people who write to me the less number of letters I have to answer. And now when I am busy from daylight till dark, and from dark till ten o’clock at night, I find but very little time to give to letters. With all these obstacles, I have managed to answer all without putting them off so unconscionably long. Why Jim, in the few letters that passed between us while he was at Pine Bluff, was more punctual than a good many.

I am in business at last & doing better than I ever did at school teaching. I am in partnership with a German from Illinois [named Lange]. He is the brother-in-law of one who has been my friend ever since I came to Little Rock. We have a sort of a grocery store & sell almost anything. Because I have changed my line of business, I have not so much leisure as I had when teaching school. But we have a great deal of trouble from drunken [Union] soldiers. They have no respect for themselves or for others. I don’t expect to see better soldiers than some of these are, but God forbid that I should ever have to deal with any worse than others of them are. Some of them would sooner get into a disgraceful street fight than eat their dinner or go to church. I believe that a good many of them never saw the inside of a church or a meetinghouse. Good men or bad ones too are always mixed up in a large army. The good make the bad seem better & the bad make the good seem worse.

Since I left my school, I have been tolerably well, but the summer has been so hot. I have taken so much more exercise than usual that at present I am almost completely covered over with one blister. The heat broke out on me at first like the measles & then blotches have come out so thick that I am red all over & pretty sore besides. So you can imagine how much comfort I take when besides this, I have a family in my house who are a constant annoyance to me.

Jim stopped here a few days when on his way back to Kansas. He thought that probably he might come back here to get some kind of business unless he could do better there in Kansas. He was well when he left. Some of [his] Company had to remain & some of the boys told me that Jim cried when he left them. I think Jim likes a soldier’s life pretty well – better than I do at any rate. I have seen enough to know what it is & I do not want to try it again. I received a letter from home some time ago. They are all well. Col. [Benjamin Franklin] Tracy has resigned [from the 109th New York Infantry] because he was sick, but they say he looks well &c. So it goes. Write soon & believe me as ever your affectionate brother, -- Ralph L. Goodrich

[2]    Probably Lieut. Charles A. Harms of the 43rd Illinois Regiment bivouacked near Little Rock at this time. Harms and Lange may have been acquaintances in Illinois prior to the war.

[3]    Capt. Williet W. DeKay served with the 3rd Minnesota Infantry which was garrisoned at Little Rock until the spring of 1864. DeKay became the Post Provost Marshal in Little Rock in 1864.