chatnooga tennessee August the 18 1862 [1]
der wif i tak mi pen in hand to let you
no that i [am?] wll at this time and i
hope thes [few?] lines wil find you well
and doing well i hant much to rit to
you the bois is all well exsept John
he aint [well?] [yit?] but he is a nocken
a bout i think he wil git in a fu dase
rhoda i [wo?]nt to se you wos than i everdid
in life be for i no that hit wod be the
haps time in the world rhoda i got the leter
you rote on the 6 of August witch give me
grate Satesfaction to her from you a gain i had Jest
started you aleter that morning befor i
got the leter from you i codont her
from you i wil rit to you ef i cant
her fro[m?] you i wod be glad to her
from you [ev?]ry day lu[???] [???] [??] from
you evrday i wont to her from you evre
weak rhoda dont think that i wont
rit for i wil rite to you as long as i
[Page 2]
live or tel i git to go home i cant tel
you whend i wil git to go h[ome?] but i
hope som tei be fore long for i wont
to se you all won time more in this
world and ef we dont meat in this
world i hop we wil met [in?] heaven
rhoda i hant Sead no pease nor satesfacsion
Sen i left you hit seme lik[e?] home is
never of[f] ov mi mind i think i se the
lest plaiser her of eny body elce for
i cant her good lik the rest but i
hope god wil be with me and help
me to return home to you mi dear i
am a going to no ef i can a ginst i rit
to you ef i can i wil tel you hit tis
hard to find [?]it eny thi[???] a bout
hit but i a[??] [?]gont to no ef [i/] can we
hav to go out on picket gard to marrow
that is our compiny i dont no for Surtain
that i will hve to go but i Spek i wil
[Page 3]
rhoda hit hurts me to think
we cant Se won and nother the ters
roles from mi eise to thin[k?] that i
may not ever se you a[gain?] in this
but i Still think that i wil git
back to i think the good [lord?] wil
help me a long [?????] tel [??] back god
is all i can put mi trust [in?] and
i think he is the rite won f[or?] me to put
mi trust in rhoda i dont no [how?] long we
wil Sta her but i wont you to Still
rit to me for i am glad when i can her
from you and all the rest [i?] hope when
i her from you all a gan that Sis nancy
and famli wil be well i wos sary to
her that tha wos Sick tel [na?]ncy that
we have drois [??] money [l???] we did
not dr[??] on [???]r her we cod [??] dra [fo?]
them that [???] dide be for tha sind
the paroll but we can [dr??] for them
the 15 of next mount tha So [we?] wil
droi then
[Page 4]
So i mst Close So farwell tel
i her fr[om?] you agan W S Poe
to rhoda Poe
a fu li[nes?] to you father and mother i
hop thes [fu?] lines will fi[nd?] you well
and doing well [I?] hant nothin[g?] good to rit you
i wont [to see?] you the wos in the
world we have bad far her but i recon
it tis a[s?] good of eny sho Solger fair
i wod be glad i cod be at home an se you
and Spend a fu wordes with you
but i can rite now but i hope the good
wil be wif me and help out ov this trobul
Som plas i wont you and mother
to remember me in your prars oh
father ef [i cod?] se you i cod tel you meny
thing [??] you dont [???] i Stil think
That i [wil?] [git?] [back?] [home?] [???] and thes
das i won[t?] you to rit to [me?] oftain and
fawell tel i her from you gin
Father and mother i [??]rs