Harrison Tenn July 15 (1863
Dear Wife this will inform you that
I am blest with a reasnabul potion of
helth and I hope that this will finde
you and all of the rest of the family
enjoying the same blesing wee are all jen
erly well here uncle Billy and M Gilly is a
goin to start home in the morning so I
will send you a few lines by him I
was glad to here from you all and I was
glad to git my closs from home I must
tell you something a bought how they
[???] they come in a good time for I was
out of clos I would of drawd close but
I was a wating for I thought that you maby
would git a chance to send me some my pan
ts fits me first rate and my shirt dos fine
but my [???] was to little I put them
on and [????] time I stoop down & they
busted I could stand up in them but I could
not stoop down in them my socks just fild
the bill I will ceep them you rote that
[page 2]
you needed some buttens I am a going to
give uncle billy some monny to git you
a pair of cards and some buttens and some
needles I hardly no what sort to tell him
to git for I dont no what sort you need
I will give him thirty Dollars that is as
much as I can well spair at this time for
I have to buy a heepe to eat here I have
bin so that I could make monny a nuf to
pay my way with out what I draw but I
cant do that now wee live pirty hard here
here but wee make out the best that wee
can uncle Billy can tell you how wee git
a long here wee live from hand to mouth
I have all ways heard of ones living from
hand to mouth but I never new just
how it was till I come to the ware
wee dont git a plenty to [eat?] here but
wee make out and I have [never?] sufferd
myself only when wee was on the ma
rch and then wee could not git any
thing to cook in nor to cook
[page 3]
I would send you a bunch of thre
d if I could but if you git some
cards I recon you can make out I
want a nother soot of close this fall
if you can git any chance to sende them
to me I will need some winter close some
that is warm make me some warm pants
and a wolen shirt if find that a wolen
shirt ant any worse for lise that any other
sort I recon that you would like to no
how me and the lise makes it[???] I have
never bin botherd with them but very
little since I come back here when you
make me a nother shirt put pockets in
it and then it will just soot a
solger I lost my gloves you may
send me a nother pair if you can
your gran ma give me a necless as I come
on and I lost it in my nap sack I want
one pair pants one under and over shirt pair of
draws and gloves I am still in hops that
I will git to come home some time
[page 4]
but I cant tell when that will bee
may be not thill this ware ends I want
to see you mity bald it is not worth
while for me to rite to you that I want to
see you for you no that with out riteing
it I will send you a half quire of paper
and that will do you to rite some time
and I want you to rite as often as you
can and rite all of the news that you
can I am a going to rite to pa to come
out here this fall for I no that he can
come wee will pay any boddys expences
that will come and bring is some butter and [1]
eggs close and so on and wee are glad to
see them any how so I will come to a
close for this time give my best respects
to all my friends I can only say do the
best that you can pray for me oftin
may the blesing of got be with and
protect us I still remain your Husband
truly am efectionately TT Bigbie
to his Wife MJ Bigbie