Sullivans island No the 28 1863

Dear wife and children I again take the
Present oppertunity of righting you a few lines
Witch leaves me well at this time hopen
that thay may Come Safe to your hand
And find you all well I received your kind
Leter with the Sertificet from mooney
And have made every effert I can to procure
A furlow and all in vane my Companys
officers have done all thay Can do I cant
tell why I cant get one you must do the
Best you Can and try to get some person
to Stay with you and do for you if ther
is any one in the the hole Contry to be
had I wish I Cold Come and assist you
But ther is no chance for me to Come soon
ime afraid I have no news to right that
wood be eny ways interresting for you to
Read onely we have a hard time her we have
A heap of work to do throwing up brest works
And battrys and not mutch to eat We ar
Drawing corn meal and beaf a bout one
mess of beaf a day we draw meal for fore
days at a time and onely get a nuf fore to
three days its what I call hard living
Our mess went out her to sume irish
women this morning and got what potatoes
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we Cold eat for 50 cents a peas we have to by
It at hy prices or suffer we have bought
A good mey peas at 75 cents a quart if eny
person had a told me six months ago that
I wold have bought peas at 75 cts a quart and
Potatoes at twenty fore dollars per bushel
I wood not a beleivd it but it is so a man
will give more for somthing to eat than he
thinks he wood tell he gets hungry and
knows he cant get it without we have
had a veary good meating hear last weak and
the first of this Peary hawkins was the
Preacher I joind and was a bout 50 moners
when the meating closd I want you to
Rite jest as soon as you get this for I am [very?]
Ancious to her from you I wood have rote
Sooner but I have bin trying to get a fur
Low ever sens I receivd your Leter and cant
get it I hope the time will soon Come
that I may be free again and go when I
Pleas and Come when I pleas the resn I
frank all my letters to you is becaus
thay ar more apt to Come I will Send you
Some money the first chance I have drawd
a half months wedgeis and 50 dollars boun
ty A. H. Lister to Mary J. Lister
jef is veary prely hasent bin able for [duty?] for severl day