Townsend Bridge Ky
March the 22nd 1863
Dear Cousin
I once more
take my pen in hand to
drop you a fiew lines in
order to let you know that
we are on the land and among
the living Well we are in-
joying first rate health at
preasent and I hope if the
fiew lines are permitted to
reach you that they will
find you all in the the same
State of health
I received your
kind and truly welcome
letter the 9th Inst on the
[page 2]
20th Inst well I was very
glad to hear from you for
it had been solong since I
had had a letter from you
that I had came to the conclu
sion that you had eather
forgoten me or else you did not
direct rite I had writen
two letters to you since
I had received one from
you but now I think
it must be the postmasters
falt
Well Mary Jane I
hardly know what to write
for I wrote your Father
two letter last week and
there is nothing of importan
hapened since

The rebels are
coming in this State
again I expect if they
get in here again we
[page 3]
will get to smell gun
powder there was a train
loaded with Soldiers went
up yesterday they indend
to meet the enemy at
Lexington the worst is that
there is 2,000 two thousand of
the rebbels if this be true
our men will get a good flog
ging there
Well Mary Jane you
say that you have come
to the conclusion that
I have forgoten you
Well I don’t want you
to think so for it is not
so for I think as much
of you as I ever did I never
can forget my cousin on
this earth and I have not
forgoten the big Tollakuchens
yet it almost makes my
teeth water to think of them
[page 4]
Well we got payed off yester
day we got two months
pay $26 twenty six dollars
Tell your Father that
I want him to send me
J S Clums letter to
the Standard as soon
as he can for I am
ancious to see it
I must close for
want of news please
excuse this letter and
I will try to do better
the next time
Give my love and
best respects to all in
[????]ing friends not
forgeting yourself
Yours as ever
Henry Johnston
I [Yo?] J Johnston
Write soon