December 14th 1862
Dear husband
I will inform you
by these few lines i recieved
your letter last evening which
Was the 13 and was very glad to
hear from you i had no rest
i heard that youns dont get
any thing to eat down at Harrisburg
but old speck and Crackers i was
a going to come down i had send Noah
up to Schultz to see if amanda
and David would go along i
thought we would get a horse
and wagon and fetch some
provition down for you that
was last thursday i didnt know
wheaher youns was there yet or not
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then enoch packler come over and
he said Ben straw told him
that his pap wrote a letter home
that youns was then at washington
then all my coming down was
nothing dear charley i will let you
know about Aaron he had the
small pox but he is well enough
only the pox is not all dried of[f]
yet he wants to come out he was
talking of it most every day but we
told him not to go yet we was afraid
that youns would perhaps get the small
pox of him if he would come so soon
he wants to write to you himself
further butchering come of[f] better then
i had expected andrew didnt come
home to help us Miller wouldent let
him go he was thrashing and so there
was only uncle Jacob Sweigard and
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Noah and little will Sweigard
it commenced snowing in the evening
and that night it blowed up so cold
three days and nights it was so cold i
believe as any time last winter some
little water was in a bucket one
morning when we got up it was over
froze with ice in the house it was uncommon
cold my dear Charley i was just thinking about you
all the time dearest husband you Say
in your letter that you have no peace nor
rest it is all the same with me and it
was so ever since you was drafted and
sometimes i can hardly get over it but
then i sometimes think it was to be so
being there was no way of getting you out
i think this is to be our luck dear Charles
let us look to god and put our whole
trust in him he can help us out of
any danger i pray and weep if you
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could see all the tears i wept once
you are gone youd think that i have no
peace but the best way i have is to pray
and i want you to take it as easy as you
can for we are in danger every [place?] and
i know well enough that you think so
much of me and i do the same of you and
i must let you know that i am always
with you nearly every night i see you
in my dreams and you can just lay down
in the evening and try and do so when you go to
sleep dont forget to pray for me and you the
same as if you had been at home with me for
i am with you all the time my thoughts
is always with you and take it as easy
as possible will you prommice me to do that
and write as soon as you can and let me know
if you are well i am just so midling i have
a bad cold and all the rest Noah is about
the best of us andy come home with
bundle and all he is not veery well him
and Miller couldend agree very well i
want you to let me know what you get
to eat and how you have to sleep have
you any boards to lay on or how and i will
send you some tobacco as soon as i can
and when your money is all [1] just let us know
it and get a furlow as soon as you can to come
home but i think you must have money
first so no more but remain your true wife
Susanna Spire
Charles W Spire