Southwick Feb 26th 64
Dear Sons

We received your letter
last evening giving an account
of your journey back and of your
safe arrival at Norfolk. we had
felt anxious to hear from you the
weather was so boisterous. we were
affraid that you were out at sea, and
if the wind blew as hard as it did
here we knew that you must have
a hard time. last week Wednsday the
wind blew a gale all day and the snow
flew so that we could hardly see and
it was very cold too the worst day
to be out that we have had this winter
We searched the papers to find when
you left New York but not a word
could we find and had not heard a
word about you after you got to N York
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until we got your letter. we were glad
to hear that you were so well and so highly
favored as to be left in the city when the
rest were sent out. I hope that you will
continue to merit the confidence of
your officers so as to get the best places
and Alfred I am glad that he is doing
so well and hope he will continue to
do so and save his money for it will
be very handy when he gets home to
have a few hundred dollars that he can
put his hand on when he is a mind
to. We are all as well as usual the boys
are at school Mary staid at home today
because it snows, Mr Plympton died last
Monday morning and was burried
Wednsday we have had pleasant weather
Most of the time since you left but
today it is snowing hard it has fell
six inches deep now with a fair chance
to have as much more if we do it will
make good sleighing yesterday it was
[page 3]
all mud and did not freeze any last
night . Emma and the boys went over
to Charleses to the social they went a
foot the horse is sick so that we have
not used her for some time I think
she has got the horse distemper or diptheria
or some other distemper in her throat
she dont drink or eat much but she
looks bright and I am in hopes that she
will live it through. The new enrollment
bill that has just passed both houses of
Congress makes the folks around here
squirm some they claim that those
who have paid their three hundred
dollars exemption money will have to
come in for a draft at the expiration
of a year from the time that they
were exempted but I cant understa
nd it so it says all that shall here
after pay exemption money shall at
the expiration of a year be put in to the
roll and stand a draft
[page 4]
I was expecting to go down to Tariffville
today to hear the trial between Henry and
Hilton Dewey about ther fathers will it
seems to attract a good deal of attention
in the community I expected to go with
Mr Byington, our steers are going to break
easy I think we yoked them up last saturday
put them forward of the old cattle went up
into the woods and back then down to
Mr Byingtons they drive first rate for
steers I would not sell them for $135 now
Sim and the schoolmistress and Wirt
and Sarah were over here last sunday evening
Wednsday evening of this week Emma went
down to Palmers from the funeral and did
not get home until after midnight
I have written you a mess of nonsense
but there is no news to write at present .
there was a man here the other day to
take the upper farm but I did not
like him he told to many different stories
about his family and his stock for me
we are all well give my respects to Mr Horner
tell him that my house is likely to be ready for him

when he gets home M H