Apr 10 th 1863
Vicksburgh Miss

Dear wife I now seat
my self to drop you A few
lines to let you hear from
me once more I Am not
well but I am as harty
as A hog all my crave
is some thing to eat and
drink I have got the cronic
direar but that is A very
comon thing here in camps
I have got over my chills and
[???] your kind letter dated
March 24 th reached me last
week and I was very glad
to hear from you to hear
that you was well and
getting along so well
so well with your [??]ing
and I hope that when those
few lines reaches you that
they will find you well
well and doing well
[page 2]
when I am sick my mess
waits upon me as good
as they can and far
better than I could ex pect
A soldiers life is A hard
life to live I know that
you grieve and cry at
the thoughts of my being
so far from you I am
now over one thousand
miles from you but we
must recollect that
we are to have troubles
and trials in this world
I do not know whether
I will get A discharge
or not I have no thoughts
of that I was very glad
to hear that Fathers Family
was well and was very sorry
to hear that it went so
hard with mother to hear
[page 3]
that I was a little sick
I think if they think
very much of me they
would write to me
I have never reveived A
letter from [??] except
you since I left home
and thare is not one of
them except mother but
what can write and if
she want you to write
you must do so for her
but let the rest of them
[??] [this?] [???] [writing?]
I want to get letters
from them I am very
glad to hear that they
are going to send me some
butter it will come in
A good time you gessed
well when you said that
I would kneed them we have
[page 3]
been getting A plenty of
meat and Bread until know
we are about out of any thing
to eat at this time we have
about got through with
what we got from home
we will have enough for
supper to kn[ight?] we are
out of meal And have been
ever since yeterday evening
we drawn 5 days rations
yesterday it was A little rice
and old Poor cow and
our mess refused to take
any of the old cow we
do not know what we will
draw next it my be worse
but we [???] the [?]ill
for the sake of the [???]
[last three lines can’t be read]
[page 5]
to get along here I
was glad to hear that father
was going to go down to see
your crop and also glad
to hear that emily was
doing so well for you
I think you have done
very well so far I am exceedingly
glad to hear that you are doing
so well it does me so much
good to hear from you I want
you to write one letter every
week so that I can hear
from you you are all that
writes to me and I am so
foolish I look for a letter
every day when the mail
comes in we have daily mails
here you sent me so much
good news I cannot get done
thanking you for it
you said you wanted me to
[page 6]
write to you what I want
you to send me one letter
from you is worth three
days rations to me if I could
get a letter from you every
3 days I think I would
never starve in the army
I wish I was there to eat some
of your milk and butter
I hope that I will be at
home to eat some milk
and peaches with you
this summer you said
that you could pen down
A quire of paper but you
did not want to wery my
patience I hope that when
you go to write to me again
you will not think of
wearing my patience Just
write all tht you can
think of I never get wearied
[page 7]
in writing to you nor reading
your letters if you get tired
of reading my long letters
let me know we are expecting
A fight here every day
we have got orders to be
in readiness to march at
A moments warning I think
that this war will end this
year for our Army will
starve out Billy Hamilton
got a letter from his Brother
lum Hameleton he says
that cow peas are worth
$32 dollars per bushel in rich
mond and they only get
one forth rations there
I hope that I will get
home to you Again
but it looks like
A very glorious chance at
this time when I left home
[page 8]
I weighed on hundred
and eithy too and now I
would weigh about
one hundred and forty you
would scarcely know
me if you could see me
there is one hundred and
15 or 20 sick men in our
regt at this time I am now
staying at the hospitle here
close to the regt I go to
the regt every day but I
am not able to drill I am
very weak at this time
If I have good luck I will
soon go to drill again I
hope that when those few
lines comes to you they will
find you well give my
love to all my friends and
receive A portion for your
self I Remaine your Husband
E K F