N C Hawood County
                                                          the
Dear william and friends          January 16 1863
we are as well as Comon at presant
and hope these few lines may find
yoe all well i reseved yore leter
last maill and was glad to her
yoe was all well william i Cold
rite a grate many things a bout
whats going on but it is usles at
the presant but times will alter
some way or other before six months
longer is severl ways i think all
buncom has gown to a tory ware [1]
move this Cold sawey morning
william Hall has the mesels in
Camps now he is still at Straw
bery plaines in tenasee william
i for got to rite to yoe that i herd
one of the prites and as smart
dauters of [aus?] mother cane say
to tell yoe that She was not
going to mary till the war was
over and then she wanted yoe
to come for she wold like to see
[page 2]
yoe very much and yoe wold
like to know ho she was dont
yoe it was mis Eliza Penland
So now give her her wish
for i be leve she will do to tie
too tell John he did not do as
i rote to him tell him never
mind i will know yet all a
bout it will i saw yore litel one
last monday nite she was her
for me to mend her shoes if yoe
had bin her yoe cold of saved
me of that trobel i think
so i have rote maby a nuf for
this time so rite soon
yores as ever D. B. Hall