the
November 30 1862
Mey Deare Betsey i received youer leter laste
night and ite gac mee graight plser to heare from
you but it gave mee pain hare that you was un
well and the John had left you and the way
that the nabers has tretid you i hope that you
will git better for it greves me sore to hear that
you are sick your have senchare mee abought leving
hom and i Donte noe how i cold a done enney better
in the surcemstances that i was plast in at that
time for i coold make nothing thar and times was so
hard that i did note now what to doo and the
times is hard hear two for i Dont beelive that
thar was ever sutch times in the world hear you
cant gite enney thing with out paing ten
prices for it we hav to pay twentey fiv centes a
quart for potatoes and thertey fiv for port if wee
Did not doo it we shold starv for we dont draw
bute six ounces of beef a Day and a teaspon
full of salt and if we did not i dont noe what
we shold doo salt is worth seventey fiv centes a pound
and you cant git clothing with out paing ten
prices for it sockes one doler and a half a pare and
a pore calaco shirt fore dolers i bought two and
gav that for them shoes is fifteen dolers a pare i baught
a par of bootes when i come hear and giv fifteen dolers for them
this war cant hold mutch longer for our horsis is is
half the tim with out enney thing to eight and
so ar we onely for what we bey at affel hie price
i was o gard when i recivd youer letter and i Just
sate down and red it but it dont sattisfey mee
yet for i want to hear from you every weak
[page 2]
Betsey if i hav don rong i am sorrey for it for
i cold not hav maid two hundrid dolers thar in
two years and i hav maid fifteen hunred and
if i Die or git cild you and Johnney will have
it mey Dear trie to git him back and tel him
that if he will com back he shal hav the first
colt that the mar has and if he dos not com home let
him stay till i com hom for i dont want him to
be stroling a bout the cuntrey mey Deare i think
that i will git hom in fiv or six wekes we cant
git hom when we plese for thar verey strict and
we hav to tak it in turnes as we came in the servis
but i hav baught one felers turn that comes bee fore
mines and i think that i will git home in four or
fiv wekes Betsey if you new how i feele while i am
righting this you wood pittey me for i cant con
tain mey selfe i am so anches to see you and calladona
and John for i am a fraid that sumthing will happin
to him if he will com back and doo well that i will
giv him twentey dolers when i com home i want
you to doo with the monney as it sutes you and
when i com home i will bring some more i donte
want youto want for enney thing while the monney
laste tel John to tak good car of mey mar if caladona wants
that ar dres let hur hav it if you dont want if for
i hav no yuse for it i must come to a close for
[ner?] night may god bles you both and give you hlth
So fare you will i remain youer afectionat
untill Deth
S L Fuller
[page 3]
Caladona bee good to yoer granma and i will
pay you for it i think that the ware will end by
march and then i will hav monney anoughly to giv
a start in the world a gane may god bless you both
fare you well i have mor to right but i hant got
time now Bought Jonson i told him if he cam up
and John was a stroling a bought for to bringe down
to his house and send him to skoole i was afrad that
he wood doit when i gote off i doo not no what
to doo with him but when i com hom i will doo
Sumthing with him if he dose not doe better
if he comes back and staes if you can
make him sum cloes and if not Dont mak him
enney a tal god noes whate to doo with him
Doo as you think best and it will be right
So fare you well a gain Dont for git to
right when you git this and right everey
wek for it will giv me grate pleser to
here from yo as often as that
S L Fuller
Monday morning December the i i commense
Agane to right a few more lines i cold note
mi letter of this morninge be case i had no stamp
so i thought that i wood fill mey letter
when i took the notion to cum in the armey
cod see not other way to liv for thar was noe
way to make monney and i did note blev that
war wood last longe and neither doo i now
i blev that the ware will in march and if
it foese i hav maid a good winters work
i mey mind coold be contented but ites
[page 4]
is note if enney thing shold happen that i cant
gite hom as soon as i sed i will com in march
a man cant mak enney thine for ouer provisiones
so cares that it all his wagers to gite sumthing to eight [1]
and so fare well wonce more
S L Fuller