August the 6th 186[?] [1864] [1]

Dear and Belovd Wife
it is with most and
grateest plesure that
I now seat my Self to
Rite you A few lines
to let you no that I
am well as common and I
hope you the same Dear
Wife I Recivd yore letter
afew days ago and I
wold of rote sooner then
I have But I cold not
But [??] I was verry
Glad to hear from you
and to hear that you
was well and harty and
was a Gitting a long
with yore crop verry
well yore letter was
dated the 22 of July
[page 2]
and I Recivd one the
25th of August [2] and
you stated in the letter
that you was still well
and was Gitting along
verry well and has got
yor wheat thrashed [and?]
you stated in yore letter
that I was or thoat that
we wold have to go
to merlin and you wonted
for me to take cear of
my selfe if I cold and
try to come home wonts
more Dear Wife I dont
wont you to Bee
oneasy about me for
I will do the Best I
can my der I will
informe you that we
ar in a close plase
[page 3]
at this time we also
haft to ly in our trenses
Best Works day and
Night the sharpe shooters
ar A shooting at one
another day and night
the yankees ar in one
hundred years [3] of our
Brest Works.. Dear and
afectionate.. Wife I will
informe you that the
yankees has Blode up A
Porsion of our Brest works [4]
not But A few days ago
Dear and Beloved Wife I
will say to you that I
do wish I was with
the man that Rote yore
last letter for I no
he has A cole shade
A long up and don
them Bransh swamps
[page 4]
and all uther [pol??]
plases I new well
anughf hoo Rote yorer
last letter Dear and
Belovd Wife I will
inform you that we
dont git but verry
little to eat we only
Git But one pint of
corne meal a day and
2 ounces of meet
a day and with all
we are all verry near
all of us Brook doon
and [???] [But?] if [I?]
was only at home to
enjoy my Self wonst
more for I no it wold
Bee plesure to me and
I no it wold Bee
plesure to you and
all the Rest of [?] neighbors [end of letter]