Novemb 7 1862
O my Dear husban I take up my willing pen to in form you
of the times here tha are bad anuff for I have bin sick ever
sence you left which you wase aware of when you left home for
you new that john would not do enny thing untill [???] after him
he has left me he left the thursday before I got the secon letter
from you he [??]ted to go to mongom erry with p[?]as to drive his [chicken?]
waggon and I told him he shold not go but he left at night
and follard the wagon bee [low?] [lell?] kennada that night and a
greed to go for 15 sence a day but he was gon 2 day and pleas sent
him and the waggon back and I asked what he thought of [???]
I told him to think of his situacon Ses I John you do not no
that you have ether father or brother and no on to look to for
pertecion but me and do you think I am or will put up with
such doins go off when you pleas and come when his anser
was he was goin to work for his selfe for ef you come home [????]
not get to go no whare I told him I would write to you and have
him bound out I would not have as[t]roling about over the
settlment he would strole about and hunt and stay in the
negro hous es and dance I talk to him about wareing his shoes
it all don no good and he come home after he had bin gon aweke
and asked for his cloth I ses john what do mean he sed he
was living agreat deale better then he was here and [????????]
was better able to do for him then you was all he ake about
you ef I had hird from you I told him I had did he send enny
money I told him you had not he then sed I [????] that he would
that you give Stripling [??????] for a bunch of thread to
make him some cloath and you no that I ha[d?] the filling thread
is slling at 8 dollars abunch and if you think I ought to make
him enny write me word that is all [????] is to give him is
his clothes he ses thank god he will go to the boys now
I got a letter for sidney and pillip last night and sed [???]
to you to send them some cloath ef you cold get them and
ef I was able I would write night and day but I have just
[???] got able to walk across the house I hurt my back trying
to fix the turnup patch fence to keep out the hogs for I [???]
not yet goten to do it I could not get to the house caldona had
to lift me over the fence I cood not turn my selfe in the
bed for awek caldonia had every thing to do John left not one stick
of wood as to fagan has not bin here ence you left and as
[page 2]
Sed would not come any the place whle
John was here I have had no wood sence you
lefet onely what caldonia got tell this week I got george
waggonner to hall mee some by pay him 75 ady and clarady
told me tha would grind it after caldonia toll it and put
it in the garner I give george waggonner to put away the
potatoes and it cost me 1 dollar and william ware had
the corn geatherd ther is about 30 bushels of it and who [1]
I am to do I no not for corn tha are 2 to 2 and ahalf
pur bushel and the maire that you sent here I like varey
well but for shuck animile dos not sute me for I can
1 grane of salt it is as[e]lling 1 dollar a pound and I cant get
at that I have sent tice to talledger and thare is no
but perris jonson told william ware that you giv
him 3 hundred and 25 dollar for the Meare and he
charge you 10 dollars for keeping her and I got
your leter asaterday and I sent atusday and he charge
10 for goin and I had to pay all of the expences
tho bill ware sed he got of with paying 5 and jonson
sed that he has payed all up but 7 hundred dollars
and it is a s[t]range Idy to me that you would take that
much monney in the armey and and setle s[t]rangur that
you sould take Jonson notion and fagan not
ef you did not think I was not onest and lookes to
me that you would wonted john to wrep the
benifit of it Mr fuller all of this was [???] fore you
when you left for you new that john would
leave for he told me that you intend taken him out
of hell for you was tiard of liveing in hell well Mr
I marred you to live what few days I had to live with
you but if it was your choises to injure the hardships [2]
of the ware to get out of hell tho ef you wished to get
away from me you could as stayed her and took
care of john for I much feare that he wil come to
some bad end you no that if I had cared no more
for you and john then you both ceare for me I
could went to my children [w?]hare I could uv liveed
well no I stayed here and trye to do all I could to my
home agreeable I did not turne you and john loose
in the world to purrish I dare not hope to see you for
if you had enny Idy of coming back I shall bee dun
[page 3]
with trublesom world I hope I shall [??] at and
out your way for cant [leve?] fror it will take every cent
of money to by corn and my cows will go dry and then
I cant get no salt if I had enny hogs to kill you made
2 bushels of wheat I have spoke to g waggon[er] to com to
see it to morrow I hav not got the straw for clarrda woud
not hall it and I sent to bill wares to get his oxens and John
come back and sed that he could find them and Alice was
in the pastor so I have not got the straw yet your mare
is afine mare but shee is a purfect corncrib she is a
good condishon annimill but I would uv had a horse
worth 100 and had such a price horse and nothin
to eat and bar footed which I am you never sed nothing about
cloth but I spose that you have money aplenty but
sidney ses ef you did not send him cloth he did not
no what to do for tha could not get at no price he did
not say 1 word to me tha was both well 27 of October
pillip rote John and me an giv his compliments to in
quring friends an if I please to send his overcoat
and coverlead which I had made aranement william
ware to carry to silver run for tug had sent home
for some things well Mr fuller I am varry glad to
here of you good health fro every might when I went to [3]
bed I could not sleep thinking that you was lying
On the cold camp ground for you was all ways
complaing her at home but a contented mind is a
continuel feast you spok of not geting no letters
I looke and looke and though[t] that you never in tended
to wright nor come for you told me that you did not
come back in 5 days I might look for aletter I got nothing
and when you wrot I did not think worth while to
write untell bill ware come back and then I was not
able to set up and I can not hardley get up now with out help
Jonson payed willia ware the 2 hundred dollars you wrote to
to by 100 bushels of corn which it would take to fede your mare
and I do not no what I shall do for if every man leves home
because thare is nothing to eate at home any way ef my fammiley
perrish to [with?]them Mr fuller do you no ware 1 of the [???] chanes
is caldonia was goin to plow up the potatoes but coud not find
1 chain and shee went to go alles to borrow 1 and he
got old george waggonner to plow them up and arlle come
up to see us and her and caldonia picked up I for got
to say that caldonia and arell and john was well
[page 4]
I wish you to no but my hand is give out Joseph alles is the
most of a white man that I have come across I want you
to write soon and let me no how you are and what
you are doin for clothes I must bid you a fare well along alas
fre well one more time adue I remain your unhappy
wife while life remaines Elizabeth S Fuller

Deare grand par I seat my Self to drop yo a
fue lines I was glad to her yo was well I wold
of bin a heap prouder to her of yo a coming
home I wold luf to Sea yo John has
left us he wanted to give mee that wosted
dress I wold not taket without yo
leaf but I wold luf to hav it to make
my baby a cloak I wil Com to a Close
yo must rite often Caldonia medders

you must look over all mistak
and bad righing for my pen I can hardly hold in my
hand is weke and numb I trid to tell you about your great
friend Clarrida after caldonia tolled the sugar corn and put it
in the garner and I saw hime and he told me that he reckon
he would grind it so thare it lise yet and would not grind
it and told me to carry it riddles thank god that thare is a
warme place for all such people bird alles is dead Squire
levet and the widow waggonner is marred do write soon
and let me no how you are [and?] if you have enny clothes
and bed cloath for I do not never expect to lay eyes on you
agane you promis me that you would get a furlow and com
home I surpose you did not want to come jonson sed
that if you did not get in you might get home the best way you could
cludy ware hird him say so and you no that he was a mean
man far well this is forom your affecanate unhappy
wife one more time adeu
Elizabeth Smith Fuller