March the 1 186[4?]
Dear brother and family I will
rit you a few lines which leaves
as well as comon as for newes i
hav [non?] food we are most redey
to plant corn i think this war
wil soon end lark will start back
in a f week or too i can tell you
he has got in a bad scrap docter
whit and mart hav come and
boat a niger with them to sell
him a harse hide and as soon as the
niger left the corme in and tuck
him to gale and when tha got him
ther tha had that licker scrape a gin
[h???] he give a land of twoo thousand
dotar you must all come when you
can i dont no when i can come
i wil close for this time i hope thes
find you all wel i will rite a
gane in a few days

T J Mathews L [N?]
[page 2]
Tell frank [??????????????????????] is
well