coosey Bridg shelby co Al
septem the 24 1863
Dear wife an children an father
I tak this optuny of writing you
afew lines thies few leaves me we[l?]
at present hopin thies may com
safe to han and find you all
well an in Jorin the blesin of the
lord i hant got nuthin good
to write to you at present
onley i heard from you the
other day Joel grugers sade
you was all well I was glad
to hear from you and to hear
you was all well he sade
you started me aletter i hant
got it wet dear father I [1]
want you to gether the corn
out of the middle feal [2]
as quick as you can an turn
the stock in it i wont John
to brake it up as sun as he
can i wont it soad in
wheat next change of the
moon if you can dew it
[page 2]
I wont you to get blustone to
soake the wheat in if you can
get it at eny prise i think it
wood be best to so the middle
feal and the patches and the orchard
field down to the par trees and
leave the rest to plent sumpen
else in I want you to mend my
shues if you can get the lether
I dont no but I think i will
come home next fridy the 2 oct
i will try the lutenant if he
wont let me come i will
run the blockkade thursdey
the 1 i dont no wher lutenent
foy will be in command or
[?] B [Jorden?] if tha dont
let me come i can run the
block kade an tha wont
no it tha ar hardly ever
hear tha low urs to fish an [3]
hunt when we ant on post if
tha ask fer me the boys can
tel them that i am fisen
[page 3]
I want to see you all
very bad i wont to see all
the connection an to see all
the nabors two but it is so I
cant see them know nor I
dont no when I can see them
as fer this little breckfast
spel whipen the yankes I
dont think it is half dun
wet thar is two meny of our [4]
men stayen at home an saye
go ahead boyes we will
whip them wet when our
men goes to invade the northe
states the sitsons will rise
an drive our foreses back
Bradge has orderd all [5]
the baken an meal in
this part of the confedersy
to him so he can foler
the wankes with out he
cant foler them he is
out of eny thing to eat
[page 4]
Dear wife i wont you to dew the
best you can with your afars
at home look to the lord for ade
to help you in all of your triles
an trubles may he bles you in
all of your out goin and in cumen
i wont you to remember me in
your prar may the lord bles our
children i hop tha will mind
you an may you give them the
rite instruction one of our gard
dide last sundy nite tha is severl
of them sick now if I live i
think I will start home next
thursday on the even trane if
tha is eny pasen to town thrusd[ay?]
send me the mule to ride
if not send John to mr poters
fridy morning if I come I
will be ther by 10 oclck fridy
I hant droud eny money
wet i dont no when i will
nuthin more far well at present
I re your husben untel death
J. W. Stewart to mary anne Stewart
[page 5]
I want you to write to me how
ful the crib was when you gered [6]
your corn I wont you to fead lit
as you can to keep the [meal?] I think
you can get sum corn by send
to guy thornten you get it at 50 cts
per Busel get all you can if you can
get eny tel sister green and famly
hody fer me tel her I want her remb
bier me in her pair tel mrs carter [7]
the same I wont to see you worse
then i ever did before but as I cant
see you I want to hear from you
an the children children I hope
you all will mind your mouther
in all she tel you to dew tel fathe
an mouther an Brouther an
sisters hody fur me tel thim
I wont them to write to me when
convent nuthin more at presen
tel the Boyes witch minds you the
must have the cap dont let
my sweet bab[e] ferget me far
you well I remain your husben J. W.
stewart to mary ann stewart