Ferry Point Near Norfolk
May
11
Dear Wife
I inform you by these few lines
that I am well only that [????]
plagus me so much To daayI hope
You and Children are well I rote to
You only yesderday but to day I
was off duty and thought I would
rite a few lines to you for I get
very lonely sometimes that I dont
know what I shall do then I though
I would talk to you a while Cortilia
rite to me if the apples trees are
Full of blossom or not and how that
wheat is coming out Cortilia I only get
the half of that grain on [mr?] [Albert?]
has it out for the half and he will
take it off and thrash it and we
will get the half of the wheat
Cortilia near harvest time I would
Take care that the chickens wont
Spoil much of it and rite to me
if Sonny goes to School
[page 2]
This is a troublesom time just
now all over the land just now
And many A havy thought have
have I to have if you think about
it night Cortilia you know how much
I was with you and the children
nearly Evry day through the whole
year and now I have been taken
Away from you and from my
dear little children where many
A time I have to ly and quit thinking
of All my troubles but I hope for
the best the worst will com along,
any Cortilia now soon the day is at
hand when you gave me your
hand to be my wife how times have
went around the thirty first of may
it will be ten years we are
married and could be together Ever
Since but now I am over three hundred
miles from you but I tell you if It
shall be we will meet again and then
when I have a way from home again
I will take you along with me
[page 3]
This Evening I was walking out
A little to See how things look
And it looks diferent to what it does
with us Evry thing is up side down
down and the land aint near Cleared
and Plowed like we farm with
as you know Cortilia that we put
two and three horses in a plow and
here you can see them in the fields
with one horse and A old nigger
behint the plow To day, Cortilia
It is very warm here to day [forry?]
if the heat Continues out this way
I dont know how I will stand it with
wolen shirts on and if it gets much
warmer I dont know I must throw
Som of them off but I hope the [time?]
will Soon Slip around and rite if
you have corn yet for the hog and
if you have not get Som from Som
person and in my next letter I will
Send you Som money and too many
Chickens I would not raise there for
if they get out on other peoples land they
dont like it
[page 4]
Cortilia and that other letter
I merely Just a little fun
I hope you will take for I [rot?]
And for a little fun Cortilia before
manda was with you I always
knew that Som person Strange
reads your Letters for you and now
Cortilia I dont think you and me
manda will say any thing to any
person what is in this or the other
letters that I sent you before
this Cortilia I ask of you this burn
Burn these few last letters that I
have rote to you there is a good
bit of nonsens in the other one
now do put them in the fire when
you have red them and dont rite
more than you care for Brother Joseph
To see for if I am away that he Cant
Send one them I tell him to open
them and meby I will not be about
when the letters come and so dont
rite more than you care who sees
there is much made of just now
Cortilia you know that just now
I cant do much for you but any
Thing that you want and I can
do for You I will Cortilia rite to
me of all the Children how they are
and how you are Contented and do what
I tell you with them letters from your
Husband Amos Henry Cortilia Henry