may
saturday the 29th /63
Dear David your lettr that
you wrote to pa is at hand and
I am truley glad to hear from you
I hav bin looking for a lettr some time
I lernd you and Cof had come
back to :Hye and I new it would
be a dificult mattr to git a lettr
to you So I hav neglected to write
Sooner I am sorey to lern of your Bad
helth though as you speak of impoving
I hoep you will Git well a gan
I will state to you my condition I do
think I am impoveing a little but
How I would like to be with you
All if I was able to stand it
[page 2]
though I cant walk but a little
and not any without a stick &
I would be but little sirvis thir
you may Gess well you spoak of wishing
to no if Dr. Jamess Remida affected
any thing I can tell you what I think
a bout it it dun me more Good than
any thing that was dun for me
I partley ascribe my presant existenc
to the Skill of Dr James matthews
I do hoap I my Git stout a gan
it seames as if God has favered
me be far and if I can I will be
with you in those trublson war
times well Boys I want to see
you all espcley you D & Ezkiel
lark and Dow and cpt stiff
[page 3]
& if I Git able I will come &
see you all. Well I will tell you
a little of the contry I was at
your home the .2th & 3. & 4 of this
month I was thir at the time of
the yanks Raid through thir as
you hav herd they swep things
as went I cant take time
to tell all you will Git it from
a mor allostrous pen than mine
well David I was Glad to her
Some thing of my money I do
need it I hav lost a heap you no
has Bin disabled from comis &
all by my exposiers in the camps
for if I hav not liv exposed I
coold had monney a plenty
[page 4]
tell or let capt stiff read this
I was nothing but a poor Boy
at the start and what I had
horse SaDdle & bridas & wk at little
monney I had I lost in the war
& the worst of all my helth &
has got nothing ant able to work
a lick cant by a suit of close
& you may Gess I am left in a bad
fix the people is willing to do me
jestice in this contry they see
my condition and all though I am
a Stranger her they tell me I can t
Suffer for they ear Kind to the affli
cted they tell me if I would Sit
down and teach thir little childern
to spell and Read they wuld pay me for
it No 2