Shelby clonty Al champ rise aug the 17 1863 [1]
Dear wife I tak this optuny of writing
you afew lines witch leaves me well at
present hopen thies few lines may com
safe to hand and find you and children
in better helth than you wose when
I left you I hant heard from you
sence I left home I hope the lord
has blest you an the children in restore
you all to your helth agan I hant
got nothing good to write to you
at present but bud knows I am
under this red nose ires yet my old
lutenent when he reported to the
mager he sent him to north Al
to inrole concripes he sade he though
he wood get back in one or two
monts I think he has got sum prin
able about him this one I am now
under hant got nun nomore then
eny other seeses has got I have [2]
this day tride him to get to go
home he denide me [bitaly?] and sade
I cod not go home
[page 2]
I will sun come thrw and [???] [think?]
[???] will be [worse?] [??] [than?] [tha?]
[??????????????????????????] [who?] [3]
[voet?] fer secesion but I think if
tha ever ask me who wos fer the
wor I shal tel them the truth abou
it let it hurt how it may I cear not
if the yankes is coming thru this parte of
the south conferet states I dont cear
how suon [???] com fer I am tired
stayin from home workin at the sum
of one doller a mounth an never get
it but it ant eny worse than I thaught
it wood be at first seces has runt
this part of the wore I hope it wont be
so allways our [boxes?] cum but the wore
[?????] ,????] get [?????] to [????] [???] [????]
gave [?????] is a war horse but he
is like me wont fite to fite with eny
thing but his tung tha [beat?] him
fer [coners?] he is now before the
[ledjater?] fer senet I hope tha will
[alit?] sum body else let him tak his
musket up an go an fite fer his prin[???]
if not keap him at home
[page 3]
I dont cher if him and all the rest
that is as mean as he is was in [and?]
[?] plase an thar to stay thru lif an
I dont cher how son it wood close
with them I wont you to write to me
when you get thies few lines let me
no how you and the children has
got I wont to hear from you wors
than I ever did before I hope it
wont be long tel I can get home to
sta I wont you to try to stan all the
triels that may com up before you
I wont to see you all very bad an to
tel you about what seces has dum [4]
fer our cournty an [peal?] in hit [5]
I wont the last man an woman
tha wont the war to go on to get in
serves quick the men to fite the
battle an the wimen to work an
cook what little is to cook an to [sure?]
up the [yards?] so as to keap bisey
but sence the faul of [gulee?] [clorry?]
I cant find but very few [war?]
men tha say that the yankes
[page 4]
tel John g[r]een I thought I wood get to see him
when I leaft home I know the chance
is bad if he dont come to see me tel him [ir?]
get his ferlow [?????] I wont him to come to
see me before he gos back an I will
pay his pasedge on the car and if he
cant come write to me when he
will taladgea and I will meat
him on the road and taulk with
him afew miles eny how but I hope
he wont have to go back eny more
tel father I wont him to take money
an go to fre[dony?] an take up my not [6]
18 or 20 dollars an tak John [?????]
not and se[????] Jones accant an tak up
my recete fer the same tel all the
connection hody and to write to me and
give me all the news nuthng mor
at present hopin the lorde will
b[les?] you an our little wones I reman
your hursburn untel death J. W.
stewart to his wife an children
tel Doctor simes I wont him to cary up
my pertisen they [saay?] an I
will meat all demandes write sun
give me all the [??????] J. W stewart