Sunday July 9th 1865
Dear Fleetwood
I received your welcome letter this
morning it did not bring the good news I expected to hear
but still it was good news to hear you was well it finds
us all well I am glad I can say this to you I know you
will be glad to hear it the children have had the
cholera morbus or summer complaint pretty bad
and so had I for a few days but are quite well again
we had been looking for you home in a few weeks but I feel
sad to day if you are in Norfolk yet I am afraid you
will not get away soon I dreamed so much of you last
night I thought you looked so pale and sick I am afraid
you might be sick I still for the most part of the time
keep in first rate spirits I did not got to church to day
I was offered a seat in the carriage I thought I would
stay at home and write to you give me more
pleasure I think I will not go to church for a while
now unless you come home soon then I will go some
I do not know why my letters dont reach you sooner
this is the 3rd one since the 15 of June I have written
one every week since you left us but twice and then
the children were sick and the roads bad it was
impossible to send one to the office then the next
week I always wrote two so you should have a letter
every week if you do not get a letter every week
you must think I did my duty I thank you for
writing to me often it was great comfort to me when
I felt lonesome I can hardly wait till saturday comes for a
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letter I saw in our paper there were 17 regiments
to be discharged among them the 104th captain Robert
Johnstones company would be in the crowd they recei
ved a dispatch from Washington the paper states
I still am in hopes you are on your way by
this time or will be the time this letter reaches
you we did not get a paper last week the 4th
july was the cause, they had a great time
they say I did not go neither did the children
I was best contented at at home I received a
letter for you from the gold company I sent the
paper to you in a letter you ought to have it by
this time it is two weeks since I sent it I am
agreed to you sending 8 dollars to secure yourself
if you think proper Aurandt told me about
I do not think he intends to send it soon he
said he would send his certificate at a risk
and if it succeeded you all might [take?] the risk
I hope you will be home soon to attend to it
yourself then it will be done I wrote to you
several times that I received your clothes in
the box safe I will write again perhaps you
have not got the letter I have got them
also from Rameys , We do not want for any
thing to make us comfortable but you company
If I get you home again you shall never
leave us again so long Martha has been at
Fouses helping in the house for a few days she
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will be here next week till they are done harvest
ing she comes home at night Emma or lissie will
be at clappers this this week too I can get a long with
out them this week yet the huckleberries are getting
ripe I want to get some I shall not plague my
self very much this summer for a few berries
it is hard work I would like to have something good to eat when
you come home I was in hopes you would be home
in time for to get me some cherries but you will
be too late unless you come soon Ellie is very
anxious about her ring if you can get suppose you
get one for each of the girls they have been
good girls they want you to bring all your clothes
home and wear your cap home be careful you
are not robbed on your way home I see in
the paper accounts of soldiers being robbed they
invite them in to take a drink of drugged liquor
then it is an easy matter you must not think
strange of that of me telling you how to do
you know I am anxious about your getting
home safe this day is very cool and pleasant
it reminds me of fall it makes me feel lonesome
the crickets are beginning to chirp it sounds so
much like fall the folks in trough Creek
have never wrote to me since you went away
they must think I am no relation I feel
almost as if I had no friends I pray much for
your return I would have one friend I know
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we have had heavy rains and thunder almost
every day since may the corn and potatoes look
well the grain looks well it is dead ripe they are
working early and late to get it cut hands
are scarce and wages high some have just one
cradle there is nothing new to write at this
time when you get home we will take it
all over now I have not much more to write
I hope you will keep in good heart and trust
in god he will order all things for our good I
know we will meet again before long he has
answered your prayers for he has comforted me and
mine since you have left us I was here one whole
week without Martha or Emma and I did not
feel afraid if I did the time would seem
much longer there is robbery going on in woodcock
vally Adam Fouse was robbed on sunday while
they were at church of a good deal of money
there has been some suspicious fellows
lurking about here some two or three weeks
ago but I do not feel afraid they have brought
orlady Heffner home he died in tennessee of the
fever there is not much sickness here now the
small pox have all died out and we have
escaped we are to get hay but it is hauled
into Adams barn on account of the bad roof
it would all spoil I hope you will be home
in time to cut fodder yourself I will not cut
much this fall the children send their love to you
and so do I too Now I must close my
bring you home soon to your family
good bye dear Fleet
good bye for a little while
Mollie Benson