Manchester Tenn Feb the 9 Ad / 63
Mary F Jones My Dear & affecttionet wife
it tis with plesure that i seat my self to
dropyou a few lines to let you now that
i am well at presant hoping these few
lines will reach you an find you injouing
thee same like blessing Francis i havant
aney thing of importence to wright at presant
i jest merley wright for the satesfaction
it tis to mee an you to her from each
other it tis the gratest satesfaction that i
hav her to read leters from you an to her
that you an Jimey is well an looks sow well
uncle Wm Norriss is her at this time
he ses your helth is good an ses that
you hav got on of the finest boyes in
the world an the worst one i wood bee
glad to see him a playing a round you
I wood bee glad to heer him call hogs
for his grammah & i wood luft to her
his sweet litle tongue a talking it
twood bee a heap of satesfaction to mee
to see him seting on your k[n]ees & talking to you
[Page 2]
Francis i wish I was at home with you i
could tell you a heap that wood interres
you i could tell you a bout the Batle
i was in it twas a dangers to bee under
the bumbs & balls i was in a picket
fight i shot seven times i dont now
wether a cild any man or not i am
glad i dont know wee lived hard
all that week some times with out any
thing to eat but i had plenty my self
nerley all the time on the retreat wee
all got out one day wee droad half
Rashings of flower without salt or shorten [1]
or anything to bake in i made mine
up in my tinn cup & baked it on my
gunn stick it eat mity good to mee [2]
some baked on coles some onn flat
Rocks it twas looking bred then wee
droded Beef an briled it it looked like a
a nuff to killed aney man a most to
hafto undergo what wee had to u[n]dergo
threw the rane an cole an mud an frosen
ground wee had to ly on ov knights &
[Page 3]
Francis my love i rote a leter on the 7 inst
to you an one an sent by the Capt to you
& on to sester Elizebeth & G W Jones & to
katy sence i have ary one you was in
fayette the last i hurd from you i was
glad you got to go up thare for i now
it twas good pass time to you i wish i
could a bin with you it twood a bin
a heap of satesfaction to a bin with you
Faney i hav some bad newse to write it
Greaves mee to hav it to do T A Harkey
is ded he dide at Chattanooga some two
or three weeks a go Brother John is sent
to the hospitle he went of on the third
inst i hant hurd from him sence i wood
bee glad to her from him Wm is out
on picket to day he wont hav the
chance to wright this time faney i
sent tenn Dollars by the Capten
an i sent a paper of needles in a leter
an i rote to now a bout a substatute
wether tha could bee had or not
send mee word a bout it as soon as you can
[Page 4]
Mary F wee hant droad now money yet
tha talk of paying us in a few days i
wish i had it to send by uncle
William to you i fer we wont hav
nary nother chanc to send to send it
to send it faney if you can get any oats
i want you to hav some sode to fead with
tha is talken of mounten this brigade
to go with morgan that is the Kyens [3]
i hope tha will an let us out from
thim i think wee will fare beter
i dont like thares offisers tha are
sow tite an bigetted tha cere for nothing
Faney you musant think hard of mee
for not paying for leters for i cant
get stamps i must bring my leter
to a close by requesten you to wright
soon Give my Compliments to all
the conection an in quiren friends if
thow should bee aney hug & kiss
my sweet babe for me & pray for
mee god bless you all amen good by
Wm R Jones to Mary F Jones &c.