Mississippi this August the 23 1863 der wife i am belest [1]
wont mor with the meres of god to rit you a fu lines
to let you no that i am tolibul wel but i am
very weak an i dont Se eny other chanc only to
stay [this?] [a?] way tel i can git mor to eat an beter
i hop an trust this will find you all well i got
a leter [from?] pap las nit an i was glad to her
you was all well but i was sory [he?] com to Se me
an did not git to se me i had drother Sa him when
i was thar than [??] had a thousan dollars giv
to me i left thar i think the last day of July
you Sed in your leter for me an John to com
hom i think we wil i thot i wod bin hom
be for now i dont think we can wosted ef we can
do git [??]k [??] but i think the good lord wil
be we[??] us wel Rhoda tha sed you was at your
dads [???] [?????] [???] [????] that i belev
i cod eat of big pes an a haf a galen of swet
milk i sa to you that i dont git nothing to eat only
old por bef an corn bred an hit tis the cose
mel you evr did Se Rhoda i cant tel you haf
hou bad i want to si you an our der litle babe
Rhoda i hop i wil git home be for mutch longer
i am de term to tri to git home whether
i git thar or not i herd tha was 5 honderd
caveler at Faytt vil but that dont [??] me
Rhoda i want you to do the best you can an
take good car of our swet babe Rhoda i hav bin
very sick all thru to July ef i had bin well
i expect i wod bin at hom ef i hadon bin Sick
Rhoda ef hit gods wil for me to get home hit tis [mine?]
to stay thar with you the rest of mi time
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wel rit son an fail not so i stil remain your lovin
hus bon untel dath Wm Poe to Rhoda Poe der
father and mother brother and Sisters i Sa to you
all i wont to Se you the wost in the world an
i wont to Se you at hom an i hop i wil be
be for long der father i am sory i did not git to
Se you i no ef i [hada?] Sed you then i [wod?] went
hom on som terms i think i wil git thar be for
long wel gals i can think of honey an chick pi [2]
an mi mouth wil nerly water gals i her the
yankes was a goin to go thru thar i hop i wil
git thar first i no ef i was thar i cod git [pla???]
i dont wont non of you to git our of hart for i
think i wil make the trip i do wish tha wod
mov from her an then hit wod be [mi?] time
gals i have Suferd a rit Smart tel brother
Jim to Stay at hom tel [b???] to [not?] go
to the war tel i can Se him tel him i wod
rit to him now but this is all the paper
i hav got tel him i wil com an tel him in the
plas of a leter wel Asa you rot that you had
cetch 5 cons i wish i wos thar to go with you to
hont them As ef i had a had them cons her
i wod a eat them i no tha wod bin beter than
this old por bef As you sed nig was fat jest
jest lik cap i wont you to rit som thing a bot
hit you rot lik i nod som thing a bot hit
wel i must clos i wont you all to do the best
you can an not grev a bot me i think
hit wil all com rit in a short time So
good bi to you all tel i her from you agin
this leter is to you all [William?] Poe James Poe