Camp Near Port Roil
April the 5 1863 va
Dear wife I take the pleasure
of wrighting yow a few lines to
lett yow hear from me I have
ben lokin for a letter from yow
but no letter I hant seene I
want to hear from yow all bad
this leaves me well as to health
my arms is soar wher I have
ben vaxonated and I truly
hope my lines ma safely reach
and find you and my little child[?]
all well and doing well and all
of my pople and frends I want
to hear from you all Dear wife
I hant no nues to right of intr
only itt snows hear theare hant
ben three[days?] att a time since I
have ben heare without snow
there is a deep snow hear now
[page 2]
no 2

if it is as bad weather att home
as it is hear I doant no what you
do a bout feeding the hogs and
cows and I want to no what yew
are doing for wood and how yow
gitt corn carred to mill I want
to no whether your slippes is
rotten or not and if yow are
going to Gett enny boddy
to plow for you or not and
whether your sow has piged or
not and how menny she has
I want you to take cear of
youre ewes and hogs the best
you can and I want to hear how
the beese are Getting a long
if enny of them is ded or not
I want to no what has becom
of old man [bryant?] and [??] if
tha are doing like the ware
[page 3]
no 3

doing like tha wear when I left
home I want to hear from you
all I thout starvation wowld
[cloas?] this war bwt I now thin
k it will not for we are Going
in the plantations Getting weeds
for Salett we are Getting creeses
they are like turnups and
we are Getting a wede like
ole Gueading dock [1] hit [???]
splended spring Sallet
Dear wife I want to hear whether
yow have got that money or
not for I havenot hern from
that money since captin Brown
went of I want to hear someth
ing a bout it Dear wife I heard
last week in sals bary NC
thare was a potion of soldiers
wives armed themselves and
[page 4]
No 4
went to the flower speclaters
and demanded flower he gave
them twenty three bbls thn
they went to the man that had
Salt he Gave them one sack
and they went to the man that
had molases and he Gave them
all he had and they [said?] they
would be back when they eat
what they had Dear wife
I Glory in ther spunck I
wish a [many?] [wimmin?] [???]
Good luck in so doing
ao Dear wife I must cloas for
this time by saing I remaines yow
tender and afectionate husban til
deth Dear wife Give my love to
all of my frends fother and mothe
tell them I am as fatt as a hog
tell them to right to me Daniel M
to his loving Martha J Brown Brown