South carolina Richland Dis
July 30 1862
Dear fother I now take mi pen in
ha[n]d to let you that I hav got
a powfyk bad cole and cofe
with it too and pains in mi
nees and hips I am a littell
better this morning I hope whe[n]
thes fue line com to hand it
will find you alle in good heal[th]
we hav Dun nothing [yeced?] seat
a bout look at one a nother
wee pretend to to Drill but I
Dont call it Drill at all it put
me in mind of the loss
sheep of izrel we hav no
offers to Drill us tha ar runing
a way ever Day tha hav put
out thrity Doller reward
and fifteen reward in the state
but I beleive it all a lie
I hant heard the truth sents
I left home tha sents three
hundred last night and
this morning left for verginey
jorge eskew is goun too
and hames benson and severl
others
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I want you to look over mi
croop if you pleas and right
to me how it is giting a long
and right to me how livey
beth is makeing out tell
reck to tend to mi tobacco it [1]
he pleses and rite to me as
Soon as he can tha want us
all to go to verginia tha sa
tha wount let us go to the
cars at all if I had never
com Dow[n] hear I Dont belive
tha cood mad me a went at all
we git ple[n]ty to eat bacon
flower suger and rice I hant
eate a bit of corn bread sents
I left home we hav purty
good water to Drink right
to me when you hea[r]d from
Amos last giv mi best
respeck to all of mi frend
and Dont let mi eneymes
now eney thing a but mi bisnes
I miss com too close by far
yow well Dear foth and famley
W M Dalton to Mr S Dalton