Febuary the 7 Ad 1863
Manchester Tenn Mrs Mary F Jones
My Dear affecttionet wife it tis thriew
the murses of god that i am spared to
Drop you a few lines to let you now that
i am well at this time hopeing thes few
lines will reach you an find you an jimey
an the wrest of the Conection injoying
the same portion of God blessings I havent
mutch of importence to write at presant
wee hav moved from Tulahoma to
Manchester about 12 milds wee come on
the forth of this month an i had to go on
picket on the fifth thriew the snow an ist [1]
it twas very very cole but wee had fire
wee are on duck River some thinks thay will
fight clost her i fer thay will for i dont want
to bee in nary nother Fight as long as i live
i hav got my nuff of Fighten for some body
is shure to get hurt if i could see you i could
tell you a heap that wood interest you
a bout the seenes i hav sen latley of one
sorte or nother hard times an i fer worse a coming
[Page 2]
my love I hav some bad newse to wright
this time T A Harkey is ded he dide two
or three weeks ago N J Louis braught
the newse he dide at Chattanooga Tenn
Parker is gone to the Hospitle tha sent
him to Chattanooga is unsurten wher he
stops at he was wright sick I dont now
what alds him R scelton & C Smith is
gone to the Hospitle Mat Norris is beter
Wm & R Clemments is well i nuver has
hurd from John & James Tomas Norris sence
the batle i dont now wher thar are Francis
i want you to send mee all the newse you
hav let it bee good or bad the newse her
is a most all lise the officers will tell
any thing to Cher us up the Papers and
men talks a heap of pees but i think it
tis stuff i fer peas wont bee made soon
I dont see now moore prossects of peese than
thay was six months a go the boys is
a giten mity tired of the wore tha is some severl
runaway from Corkling & Trimer Co a few
night a go i fer that tha will a heap go
[Page 3]
Francis i wish i could bee back thar to eat
Potatoes an milk & greenes with you for I am
almost starved out for something of that
wee get plenty of pork and beef & meele or
some Flower i neede vegitllbols vedjitoble
or some change of diet Wm & John lost
all of the things that was sent by J
Gray i got my blanket the wrest of our
things was stold on the thing Scars between [2]
Chatanooga & Tulahoma i was surprsed
when my blanket come for i rote for not
to send mee any thing for i had a nuff
i wood like to hav a corse pare of socks
if you hav any chance to send it i sent 10
dollars by Capt Hugens i want you to
send mee word wether you got it or not
Sen mee some paper the first chance you
hav you can send some in a leter write
how the stock looks an a bout paps
meete how mutch he saved an wether
my Cow is given milk or not i hope
you will hav good look with all your
stock & other things you hav in your cer
[Page 4]
Faney you out to see how ugle i am i
hant shaved sence i left home only a
round my mouth my berd is a bout as
long as your finger but i ant pore
as i was a while back my helth is beter
than it has bin sence i had the new money
i was glad to her that you have cutch [3]
good helth i hant hurd from pap Jones
in a long time I wood write to thim if
inode he could get hit if you think that
tha can git one i want you to rite to thim
i feel bad a bout thim tha are sow ner the
enemy i her some canons this morning
i dont now what it meenes i hope it
meenes now harmes faney wee hav put a
chimney & a flower to our tent wee fare fine [4]
pray for mee an i will try to do the same
give my best respects to pap & mother
Lizy & pat & katey i want to see thim very
bad i want to see you & jimey the worst
in the world write often i rote one to
G W Jones & one to S [E?] Gilpen & one to Katy
on the first of this month tell G W Norris
hody for mee an all of the conection round
is the ring that has now end sow is my love for you [?] friend
Wm R Jones to Mrs Mary F Jones &c [5]