the
Norfolk City July 29
65
Dear wife
I received your welcome
letter yesterday I am very glad you
are well and I hope you may still
injoy good helth when this Comes home I wood
like to Come with it Mother I am thankl[ed?]
this morning I Can say to you I am
well and have ben very well for some
time I hope the Lord will still
bless us with good health the wether
has ben very hot and dry here for some
time we had no rain here for 10 days
I see in a letter Fouse got from home
the other day states you all heard we
must go to texas dont let these repor
ts make you uneasy it is not so we
are not going to texas we are Comeing
home before very long I think your
letter states you was looking for me home
about the time you rote this letter I wish
it had been true I will get home some
day Mother before very long I hope and then
I will stay with you keep in good hart dear Mother
[Page 2]
I am much plesed you keep the Childern
at home to help you and save your
self if they are away a fue days handy
home it dont matter my wish is for
you to take all Care you can dont
over dew your self dont think strange
of me dear Mollie advising you so mutch
you know I am much Concernd about
you and wish you well I pray much
for you and I often feel happy God
seems to say fear not I will take Care of hear
and bring me safe home to you
we still will try and keep in good
hart the lord will bring all things
right I am in good hart of getting
home by the first of september at most
and maby sooner and if not I will be
home on furlough if possible in
september about the time you think
best but I feel shore I will get a
furlough agin that time to s[t]ay
with you alt[h]o I cannot tell at this
time how soon we mite get discarged it mite
be soon and mite not be for some time yet
[Page 3]
I am glad you have pleanty to eat and
some fresh veal you have from piney creek
I know it will please your taste and I wish
it well to you I am glad you Can have
those things you like you deserve them
I Cannot praise the living here I will
tell you more about it when I get
home I wish as your letter states I Could
enjoy my meals at home I hope it will
be so before long I hope I will get home
in time to help you Mother with your
fall work if I get home I will dew the fall
work and let you sit up a lady in the
big Chair I am willing in deed you
shall injoy the privilage of being lady
in the parlor and all the spare time
I can have I will stay in with you and
tend on you and take care of you and
keep you Company my prayer is I
may bee at home with you at that
time your letters has all come every
week for 6 or 8 weeks I send you one
every week let me know if you get one every
week I am pleased you rite to me often
[page 4]
Dont slave your self much for huckleberres
for me you all ways have plenty to eat
if I only get home soon it will be all right
that letter you sent me with 5 dollars
in I never got it I never was so bad
grieved I wood much rather lost tenn
dollars of my own money then lost
that because you sent it to me I
thought it Could not be it wood
hafto be lost but we dont Care Care
about that eny more if only I get
home soon I told you in my last
letter the talk was we wood get our
pay soon it hasnot Come yet it is
all talk and no pay I think I will
raise your potatoes this fall maby
you will Come out and see me when I am
working at them I hope to be dis
charged before the last of september
and at home if not I will of Course
try and get a furlough and Come
home I Can hardley wait to see you
I will take your advice I will try
and keep in good hart and still pray
for God to take Care of us and bring
me safe home to you my dear wife and
Childern I got a fue lines from Aurandts
the other day he sed nothing about those
things I rote to him about that gold mater
and other things I may rite to him soon
I have no money and I dont think you
Can have eny to spare maby I will get home
in time my self to see after it I must
Close Dear Mother I give you in Gods care
he will take Care of you good bye dear
wife for a short time F W Benson
I remain your affectionate husband good bye
[page 5]
Dear Mollie this morning I feel
loansome for home I thought of
setting down with you my dear
wife to brecfast I had none this
morning I Could eat all I got
was spoilt we got some fresh
meet this morning it was all
black and ful of magets and
wormy hard tack you know
I Cannot eat much of that
kind of grub
[page 6]
I dont mean to Complain
I am thankful it is no worse
I thought I wood ask you Mollie
to send me one or two dollars
if you have eny money to spare I
dont think you have much and
maby you have none small chan
ge will due if you have no green
backs and if you havent got it dont
go to eny bother maybe I can send
you some before long dont say
enything about it all will be right
when I get home F H Benson