Fort Drayton otter island Aprile the 13 1862
Dear wife
i take this optuntity
plelesur to in forme you that i am well at presant and
hopen that thes few lins may find you in the same
stat of health the boys ar well at presant i jest came of[f]
picket this moring and bill is on picket to fenwick island
the compiny is up thar four tue days to picket and
they will be done to moury mouring same is writen a lette to
gran paps in york County let me no if you go that pack
that i sent to you and galegator skin let me no if you
got them things all in you letters that i sent to you
and let me no if heaty has got religen and if she be
longs to shailoh Church dont for get we have prety hard
times a gane we have to drill six ours a day and
thre of them we have to drile with the napsack on
the col is tring get us in a brige ade and that is the
reson that we have to drill so much he think that we will
march on the mane land i think we will marche to wards
charlston i think if charlston is taken that we will be in thare
i think that savania is taken fore we hear heveny firing thes
copel of day but we have no nues yet of it yet it is clear
hear to day this is sunday let me no if it is clear thar at
home the 13 of aprile let me no wat you think of the
war [as?] fore the [th????] and due you think it
will be over sune wat is the new[s] a bout towne
[page 2]
a bout the war and wat the folks think a bout it let
me no wat my fathe is duin now and you father
let me no if samel Reese lives in towne yet
and if he is ma[soin?] enny now my ears is burnin
i thinke you must be talking about me no if you
ware and let me now how you passe a sunday a way at home
wat you due to pase the time a way i pase it a way thinking
a bout you my Dear Mary you ant never out of my mind
i think all the time a bout you i onely wish that i
had you hear with me let me no if you wood like be with
me hear i wooden mind to be any plase if i had you with
me i cood live with pleasr but if i get home i think that we can
live with pleasure dount you think so Mary let me no if
if thay wood let me a lone i wooden be hear i wood be with
you at home but i had no pleasure you no i had no pleasure
and you had no pleasure tue ant that true Mary dount you
think i wood be at home if thay had let me be let me
no woat you think a bout it dont fore get to let me no
it in you nex letter be sure and let me no it my Dear
mary let me no if John Marcks send my money home to
Jane or if he ceapes it and spnds it i wish we wood leve
this island fore it is a lonsome plase and the snakes
is getin so bad that we kill one ever copel of days
i wood like to go to charilston or some plase on
the mane land war we can see some things
the peaches is geten prity bige thay will be sune
wripte and thare ar figs on fenwick island
let me no how you stove dose to cook in if it is a good one
[page 3]
if you wont to hear froum the fort fift [1] you must get the
columbia spy let me no if you get the spy and if thay ar
any things in the paprs a bout us i wish i was at
home and had one good kiss from you s[w]eet mouth on
if i cod hold you in my harmes i dont no woot i wood
give but i wood love to hold you in my harmes as i youst
to due [????] we good times wen i went to see you due you
think you wood get maried a gane if i wooden get back
a gane let me no if you wood be shure and dont fore get
ite but i ges if i wood get back you be singel longe
you wood loocke out fore a man dont you think you wood
let me no in you letter dont fore get you neaden show this
letter to any body if you woont theme to hear frome me
you reed it to theam you can skipe wat you dont woont
them to heere let me no if you give you letter to any body to
reed let me no in you nex letter dont fore get you can put
any thing s that you want to put in fore no body see
you letters let me no if bill Reese is at washinton i wroat to
him but i diden get any anser frome him i wroat to Dan Reese
but i diden get aney anser ask him if he got my
letter that i sent to him i dont no wat harley to write
send me a new[s] papr ones and a wille i got all thew that you
sent to me and send me a pink [baby?] papr you
can get them for [six?] sents get some body to fetsh it fore
frome coumbia or lanster let me no if you
Draw any money yet frome the county dont fore get
dont fore get aney things that i sad you shell anser
in this nex letter i ges i must bringe my lettre to a close
[page 4]
give my mother my best respets and love an All
of my in qurin frinds let me no how my mother is
geten a if she is sickley yet i wood like to see her but
i hope to see them all and you spesly my Dear mary
i must bringe my lettr to a close by senden you
my love to you my Dear mary No more at presant
but still re man you true husben John W Bookman

to his wife Mary Ann
Bookman John W Bookman
Mountville lan[caster] Ottr island
Co Pa south carilina

John W Bookman
Mary Ann Bookman

let me no wat mary w[????]
sase a bout her
baby and let me no if
you sene it and [???]
you think a bout it
let me no if she wonts it
st[??] at with you