the va
may 10 1863 Camp Near Kelleys Ford
Dear wife I take the pleasure of wrighting
yow a few lines to lett yow no that I am
Speard yett for some purpos or a nother
bwt how I have escaped I cant tell I
am not well by as much as I ever have
ben in my life for I am all most wearid
all most to death I ant sick nether I
trwly hope my loins may safely may safely reach
and truly find yow and my little children all
well and all of my frends I want to hear
from you so bad I couldnot bear hit if
I cowld help hit dear wife I have lot
more to wright than I could right in a
week bwt I shant right much now for
I cant right I have Got the trimbles
so bad I doant feele like setting up if
there was enny chance for we have bin
marching and fighting for the last ten
dayes and nights Dear wife I have ben
in two days as bad fighting as ever has
ben fought thanks be to God for his kind
mercyes I hant ben tuched as yett we
lost some of our best men we lost John [1]
car and corprel dobson and Cirtas sandlin [2]
and the wonded is to dedas [3] to menchan
we whiped the yankeys and run them
over the river a gain all is quiut att this
time itt was the worst fight that ever
has ben fout all of war fellars say
[page 2]
where we shall Go next I cant tell
I want yow to right to me if you pleas
for all of our fellars Gett letters but me I
think some times yow are all dead bwt I
hope yow are not Dear wife I hant hern
from yow in six weeks I have looked
and looked for a letter bwt no letter can
I see I lost all of mu cloas only what
I had on but I doant cear for that for
I Got as much as I lost Dear wife I must
cloas for this time by saing riht soo[n]
for my sake and for God sake and for
all of sakes so Dear wife I remaine yours
dear husband tell death Daniel M Brown
to his wife Martha Jane Brown
Dear fother and mother I shal indever
to right you a few loines which I trwly
hope may safely reach and find you
well and doing well I have Got something
to right if I felt like righting So
dear fother and mother I wist to be rem
embred by all of yow and all of my
frends and I want to be remembred
in all of yours preyars Old mister
Fowntain and [hosen?] and all of yow
remember me when this you see tho
fower hundreds miles a part we be
I hope the lord will bless you all
and in able all of us to bear all that
mean men may lay on us Daniel M Brown