Camp Holly Shelter Swamp
Febuary 7th 1863 Mrs Catharine Lefevers
Dear and Ever loving wife I seat my
self one time more to Rite you a few
lines to inform you that I am still well
and I hope when this shal Reach you
they may find you and the little childrean
all in good health Dear wife I would
not have Rote as soon as this but I rote in your
other letter that I sent to you by Mr Jarreitte
that I Expected to get to come home sometime
this Spring but they way things have turned
out since I dont Expect to get to come they
way they first said their could two gow
out of a company Every four Days but
Since that they have alterd it sow only
2 or 3 Can gow Every 14 Days that will only allow
4 or 5 to gow in one month and tell the [last?]
of march it will be stoped intierly Sow [???]
not one fifth of the company will [????] [1]
get home
[page 2]
No 2
this year atell the war is over and I do
pray to the good lord that it wont be long
enny more tell all can have the privilege of
a gain seeing their houses and familes again
they reason I do not Expect to get home this
Spring all that went home last spring from
Camp Mangum has to wait tell the Ballance
gets home if they had don they way they first
said all would have got home I am sorry
that I rote to you that I expected to come home
some time this spring for I now that you was
grateley hope up to hear it for I tell you it
was a great sattesfaction to me to rite it to you
and now it is all nothing I would not have
ceard half as much if they would not said
that all men of familes could ge the chance
of going home to see their familes one time
more but sow it is it cant be hope now but
I do Earnestly p[r]ay to lord that I may get
to See you & the little Sweat childrean before
long
[page 3]
Dear and Ever loving wife I would not
have Rote this letter in a day or two longer I was
still loocken for a answer from they one I
sent to you with they money in but I have
not heard Eny thing mo yet about it than
Yoder tolde me when he was down hear But
I am still a loocken for a letter every Day
from you and also one from friend Hutson
as I still have not got non from him yet
My Dear and loving wife I rote In my
last letter to you that you nead not send
me a box tell I Rote a gain as I had Expected
to get home sometime this Spring But I have
give all hope up a Bout getten to come that
soon and I thout I would Rite you a short
letter to lette you now that you can have
a chance of senden me a Box with Logan Whitener
him and Robert Smyer is [joust?] home own
furlows and they will start Back the 17 or 18
of this month and they said that they would
[page 4]
No 4
Bring me a Box if you would send it to
Newton when they started Back to the camps
maby maniel or Fran will gow to Newton for you
and see Whitener what day he will start
and I hope Frank or some friend will take
the Box to Newton for you if you have to have
a Box made you nead not have the plank
Dresed only a little own the out side of the
lead [2] sow it can be marked for the Box will
be lost Enny how I would like to a rit to
Henry also But I will not have the chance
to do it it this time as my time will be too
short But you can show him this letter
and when I rite the next letter I will Rite
to him maby he will take a notion to come
with Whitener down hear as it will be as
Good a chance for him to come as Ever he
Will have But if it does not suit him
I will not insist own his comen But
I want you to get Henry to get me
Turn to the next
[page 5]
No 5
at least two gallons of Brandy and
send it in the Box put it in two gallon
Jugs and cork it well Sow it wont [leak?]
and pack things a round it good in the Box
I will send you the money what Ever it
costs the first chance after it comes I can
make something own licker hear lette it cost
what it may it standes me in hard to
make something more in they armey then my
wages air they way things air sellen Dear
wife I want you to send me as good a Box
as you can you now what I have Rote
for before you nead not send Enny potatoes
as we can get them Plenty hear I should like
to get all the Eggs & Buter you can Send me
pack the Eggs in a Jar or a little Box in wheat
Brand [3] you nead not send much Coocked
Stuff as it is apt to spoil you mite
send a cuple of good chickens Raw
and salted well and I want as much
turnover
[page 6]
sosedge as you can send if it is stufed
and dried off it will Be better to saive
I would like to have a couple of Good
chicken Pies sent to me and I wan[t] old
ant caty & young caty Hutsons to send
them to me for theirs was the last ones I
Eat you can lette them have a couple
Dishes to Bake them in as you have now
Backe oven I want you to send me
comen Deap Boal if you have it and
one dish and I want a crock or something
to Boil some fruit I want some of that
sent if you can I would Rather have peaches
if they could be had I also want 15 or 20 lbs
of flower sent to me as we get nothing
for Bread hear But Bad corn meal and
that not sifted it is wors then that
we pound for the stock at home
we have only Draud flower one
time since we have Bin down hear
[page 7]
No 7
if i can get some flower and
fruit I can make me some Pies I
would like to have a little lard if you
can send it Dear wife I reckon I
have Rote for more things then you
can send to me But If you cant send
all just send what you can their
is one thing that I nead in perticlar
and that is some soap if you could
get me a couple of lbs of soap I would
be very glad I want hard soap if it
can be had and some Red peper
and Tea stuff saig & mint if you
have it Dear wife this is a bout
all I have to Rite at the present
If I have Rote for things that you
have to pay the money for I will
send it to you a gain you shant
loose what I sent you for things
for me Dear wife I have Rote
a longer letter then I had
[page 8]
Expected I will now close
for this time By asken you to
Rite as soon as you can and as often
as you can make it Suit Please
Send me a letter By Whitener
when he comes Back and I will
be shore to get it a few lines for
sissey &Buddy you must be purty
children for maw you most
toat chips and water for maw
and you most not fite nor hurt
the sweat little Baby and mind
it good for maw I want to now
If Bud can tell his abcs or not and
tell me how fair Sissey has got
in hur Boock I will now close
By saying I Remain your trew husband
untell Death shal separate us Isaac
to Catharine Lefevers & children you
can lette eny one see or hear this
letter that you see fit to do sow