Pigeon Valley June [?]th 1864
My Dear Sons
Sit down this Evning to say to you wee
Recd your kind Letters Last Evening B F
bare date the 6 Inst B B the 9 [?] which
gave us all Joy to Know the good Lord
had thus fare preserved your lives thro
ugh the many conflicts you have pasd
& our prayers is continually that he may
still Keep you as under the hollow of his
hand untill this unnatural war is over
there is nothing her worth you hear
ing through gods Abundent mercy & goodness
we are all will wm Allen & family left here
this day was a week they was all will
T. B. is att Leunt [????] Leut Barnett [1]
has bin very sick but is Better Capt [?]
[C???]y starts back to the Regmt in the
morning w Inman goes with him
I see in the Asheville news that 7 or 8 Deser
ters went to the House of A Jonston 4
[page 2]
miles south of Hendersonvill Last
friday week & sat for there dinner
they got it then th de[li]berately shot him
down so that he died in a few hours
his son 16 years old [Seized?] a Double
Barrell shotgun & Bad[l]y wounded 3
of them a possey got after soon overtook
two of the gang killing them & persued
the Balance Determined to ketch & kill the
Ballance if they could Straphin is gone
down to day to take Tom some clothes
as capt [????in] has got so strict he
would not give him a permit to come
home to get thim flux is Raging
here Right smartley one of the soldiers
at L[ocust?]fields w[??] it wheat crops
Looks tolerable well if they are not
too Late & the Rust takes it there will
be tolerable crop made My corn crop
Look fine & I have it in as good fix
[page 3]
I want it I have corn over knee high
Iam truly sorry to hear of the Death of
J E Inman he was the best of [???]
[Mr?] Joseph Inman Died at camp Dug [2]
Less with smalpx Logan had a bad
Spell but is on the mend they have not
heard from Anderson since the sur
render at cumberland gap I have
nothing to feed horses on but grass tho
[help?] is at [hand?] my oats Looks [fine?]
as mother want to write a line I
stop & give place so fare well my
dear boys write soon may the good
send bless & save You both tell we
meet again [??]monston
B B & B F Edmonston

[page 4] [3]

Dear Sones
as your pa has
[been?] writing [I thaught?] [I would?]
[???] some [it?] has bin Some
time since I have wrote [???]
[but?] my dear childen it is not
for want of [???] that I am so long
[???] writing but the [???????]
[every week?] [???]sorry to hear
[????????????????????????????]
had a letter from us my [???????]
children you cant tel the anxi
ty I feel for your safty my hea
rt sinks when we git a leter for
fear it will tel the sad news that
you are no more and how theank
full I feel when i hear you are
both well may the god of heven
bless you both and preserve you
from the many dangers that surr
ound you and help you to put you
[continued in left margin]
trust in that good one that will to save you from all danger
[?????] fear [ofyou?]
[added in top margin]
and if we never meet in this life
may we meet in that world wher
the [love?] of mothers for thear Sones is
heard no more I must stop
fore [???????????]
[???????]
BBE
BFE