[1] January 28th, 1862
Dear Wife
Althought not in
perfict healt yet with
emotions such as no one can
know or feel ecepet thoese who,
have near and dear frinds at a
distance, I pen to you a few words
hoping when it reches you, you
may enjoye as good health as your
infermetis admits of, I hoping
sune to go through the firests [2]
ordals ever cam to mans lot and
come out counqueror agin to
or dioyn [3] oure fortuns once more
i am wery glad to hear your health
is sloly yet stedy improving it
is a comfort to me as wel as it
is a Blessing to you thank God
[page 2]
you can not imaging how poor
Solders feel on the tentet fields
espashely sush times as we have now
think stapping out in a bed of
Moarter foot & half deep and cursed
Rebels Before you time passing
on day by day, and not be able
to move on to end sport for
them, Angshious frinds awating
oure return evry thing is dispiriting
on every side, But thanks be to the
Father Almarcyfull for the Courage
inspired in oure man for thire
Contry and friends, this and only
this enables us to holde out aginst
al hardships and triles, dear woman
i have made al possible prepartion
for the future and you will se in libbys
letter, As for the Payments to Jack
Garnet you have to exersise your
own judegment it will depend
a good deal on future operations
and if i was at home i could tell
[page 3]
batter with my own and the boyses
labour we could ecomplish somthing
in tow 2 or 3 years but let it go for the
precent, Lydia i am proud
of libby Staying at home like a
mother doing al she can for you
Shurly the Lord has blassed me
also i her of Roberts manly Acts
it does me good realy, of Henry i do not
her so much but i spose he has turned
to be as good a boy as anny one could
wish for, George i spose keeps you
warm at nights, dont he?
The books that i talked or
subcribd to of Mr Patridge are thre good
books but unless the are bound in
calfskin you nead not take them
unles you ar a mind to doe so, the
are good books of instruction for
the boys, and if you think you can
spare the Monny, and the Boys wants
to git them, but on the Whole doe
as you think best youre judgement
is better now at home than mine
[page 4]
Dear Woman i must now take
leav of you on paper for this time
May god be your Consolur and his
blassing be with you through life
Your Afectionate Husband
till death
Francis A Englehart

P.S. I should have wrote to
to Henry and George but as you
see i have already written a good
deal, i am glad always to hear
that the boys are making pragress
in larning espashely George in
Arathmetick go on George
Henry let me know how you
prosper this Winter can you hoe
you row among the rast aroun
the Rapids, Is Crazy Joe Root ther
yit with his Marshel Band
goodnight the Havy Cannons
down the Potomac is a roaring
just now so that fairly makes the ground
tramble like a continuale
earth quake, Dispatshes is coming
in, in haste i must close
yours Francis A Englehart