this July the 19 1863
Mississippi laudibul Spring
der companion i am belest this morning
with the belesin of god to rit you
a fu lines to let you no that
i think i am on the mend
i dont hav eny fevr now at tal
but i am weak an poer than
you evr Sed me i think i hop
this wil find you all well
Rhoda i hant no good nuse to
rit to you i hant herd from
brother john Sen i went to
the hospitle i herd kernel
[??????]y was wounded i sa to you [1]
Rhoda an sisters what we git
to eat her is naster than what
you giv to the dogs i cod tel
you how hit tis but hit
tant woth w[???] when i git
home i wil tel you all a bot
[Page 2]
hit i tel you that purtny
evr man her that is abul to
walk Ses tha ar goin home
an i Sa to you that is mi ame
to try tho i ma be tuck up
but i think god wil pro
tck me in trin to go home
i no sevrl that has got tock
Back an tha dideint hert
Them an tha is thre or for mo
That ses thar wil go with me
Thar ar older than me tha liv
in fiftwen miles of faitvil
i think hit wil be rit for us
to go home ef we can becas
evr body Ses we are whip
i dont want you to be on
Ese a bot me for i wil do the
Best i can ef i was at home
i expt to stay thar the rest
[Page 3]
of mi das i no i cod git som
thing fit to eat an anuf
of that i cant Sa for you to
rit for i dont no how long
i wil stay her i wod be glad
to her from you all but
a hep glader to se you all
an i think i wil se you all
be for long ef hit tis god wil
an i hop hit tis his wil
for me to git home i Sa to
you that i thot i had sed hard
times but i nevr nod what
hard was be fore i Sa to you
that Jonsonn is whip an he is
retretin an fitin on this way
som think he wil mak his
next stand on tom big bee
rivr but i dont think he
wil git thar with meny men
wel i wil drop from that sub[ject?]
[Page 4]
wel i cod rit you a hep mor
ef i nod you wod git this leter
but i dont no Rhoda you dont
no haf hou bad i want to
our litle babe i Sa to you
all i nevr hav don no body
eny harm nor i wont ef i can
help hit but i [l?]ot to com
home ef i can for i think hit
tis rit i dont want you to be
a grevin a bot me i no you
think of me [many?] a time i sa
to you i dream prtni evr nit
a bot bein at hom an Seing
of you an plain with the
babe So i must close you all
must do the best you can
i rit this to you all but [???]
hou you let read hit So no
more at this time so [goal?] to
you all tel i her from Wm [Poe?]