the
July 5 1865
Norfolk City
Dear wife I set down this
evening to write you a few lines
I am well at this time I hope
this may find you all injoying
the same blessing I got your welcome
letter yesterday the 4 of July I was
lonesome thinking about home
and out of heart the time had
Come I thought I wood be at home
but the 4 still finds me fair
from home your letter give me
much Comfort and incouragement
I thought long to hear from you
my prayer to day is that God may
be with you and bless you and
take Care of you and soon bring
me home to you to leeve you no more
you thought of going to Williams
Burg the 4 if you went I hope
you injoyed your self well I wish
you all the pleasure you Can have
[Page 2]
you state in your letter Martha
has left home for a week I am
uneasy that you will hafto deu
two much hard work or heavy
lifting without here I wood be
better sadisfied if she was at
home with you you must take
Care of your self and let others due
the best they Can remember
home first you feel uneasy I will
not get home before the year is
out I had ben too for some time
the new york herl [1] yesterdays
paper puts me in better hart agin
I see in it a new order to mu[s]ter out
two hundred thousand more men
and those who have the shortest time
to serve so we think our Chance is
good to get out under this order we
Can tell in a weak or two more about
it I feel to day in better hart I
think God has the way open for
me to Come home to you before long
[Page 3]
July 6th /this morning I
sit down to finish my letter the
morning is verry hot the knats
is so bad at night we Cannot sleep
the days is too hot too sleep the
wether is disagreeable here owind [2] to the
heet and knats at night but I
hope this will all end some day soon
you got those things I see all wright
I sent home that blanket I sent for
you in wet wether when you must go
out it will keep you dry make
use of it our grand dinner here
the 4 of July was a little s[t]inking
meet moldy hard tack and a little
black Coffee hour means wood not
make it enny better altho I dont
meen to Complain things will all
Come right God is the rooler of all
things harvest we see none here I have
not seen a field of grain this somer
thare is some oats and Corn and fruit
peaches thousands of bushels they
will soon be ripe about 2 weeks more
[Page 4]
whilst I have ben writing the
Male Came I got a letter from
John Piper he states they are all
well and hour frends he says Mother
is well a gain she had benn sick
some time ago Harrison wrote
to me I am glad to here she is well
I wood like to be at home now to
see the Crops standing it wood
look like home once more this
Country looks lost like nobody
lives here no grain to harvest and
all seem lost I feel much
Conserned about home the time pases
slow I feel so uneasy about you
my dear wife I some think think
I must Come home I Can not
stay a way much longer if you
was right stought I wood be
better Contented I think much
about home and of you often
I pray much for you O I think God
will take Care of you he has relieved
us in many troubles and I believe
he will bring all things right this time
the Childern must try to be good
to Moher and kind to her keep her
in good hart I must Close with my respects
to you and the Childern I give
in Gods Care good by dear wife and F W Benson
Childern