Fort Holms
Smiths island nc
July 17th /64
Dear anefectionate Wife
I am once mor blest
with the opportunity of writing to
you a few lines hoping that they
ma reach and find injoin the Best
of health also all the rest of the
famliey thoes few lines dos not
leave me in the best of Helth thos
i am a grate deal better off than i
have bin I have bin sick tho i
have not had to lie up i was off
of duty a few days but i have returnd
to duty again thear was nothing but
a sevear cold that i had which caused
me to have two or three chills
Dear Wife I want you to write to
me how you made out a tending
of you Potatoes and if thay appear
[page 2]
nice and likley to turn out
well or not also write to
me how the field that Wm Ellis
tended is and if he don his duty
to the corn or not write me
all about how the crops is.
Dear Wife thear is not much news
with us, we have som littel news
from Va and Mariland the
news from Va is about like it
has bin for the last Week or so
our armey and the yan kees is
both a lying in the intreche
around Petersburgh a fighting
a littel of an on. each one a
wating for the other.
the news from Washington City
& Baltimore is rite good if
it be true it is sed that we
have got a veary large forse
gon to Mareland and that thay
cut all the rail rodes between
[page 3]
Washington & Baltimor
and that thay wer in three miles
of Washington and had comenced
sheling of it which i hope is
true i do want them to rout old
Abe and make him leave thear
if thay cant get him.
Dear Wife I want you to write to me
how you are a making out for money
i wold send you som but have
not drawed any this year but
i hope that i shal draw some in
a few days. Dear Wife I will
now have to som to aclose gave
my best respects to Wm Daniel
& famliey and to all the rest of
the nabers and inquiren friends
if any. John C Getsinger & James
H Cory sends thear best respects to
you and the rest of the famlieys
and at last Dear Wife
[page 4]
I want you to be suore to except
agood portion of you Housbans
best Love for you Self & the
Children and if we should meat
no more in the World of Sorrow
O ma we meat in Heven whear
parting will be no mor is the
Prear of you Loving Housband
untel , Death
Alfred. Roberson
PS
gave my best respects to
Hariet Tice, write soon and
as often as you can and i
will doo the same