September 18th 1864
October 18th
Deer wife and child i take
the of opertunity of riting to you
hoping that these few lines will find
you in good health as they
leave me in good health at
present i reseived your
letter and was glad to hear
from y and i reseived a
letter from Metcalf to and
was glad to hear from
him and i got a cupple
to witch was very except
able and whe are now
laying at the front of
peters burg ware we can
see into the streets very
plain i saw tom noonan
yesterday and talked with
him he told me about the
boys witch ad listed and
metcalf told about them to
[page 2]
now i want tell James
bicknall to make me a pair
boots such as i told him
before i came away and
i want him to make them
as soon as he can to and
not put me of[f] at all be
cause i want them and
would like to get them
as son as i can and a three
pint pail and fill it with
butter and tell metcalf
to put abale on it and
make it strong and get
the butter at metcalfs so
it will bee good and i want
you to send me a pair of gloves
with them and i apair that
fit the squir will fit me
because i have ashort fles
hey hand like the squir i
have not time to rite
mutch i ahaught to bee
[page 3]
to worke when i ham ritin
g this letter but i shirked of
out of site and rote it it
was a very strong frost
the night of the of this
month it witned the leaves
of the suggar cane and the
leaves of cotton plants to
whe are kept bisey most
of the time and very often
the nights to when we
have to bild brest works
under the Joneys noses we
have to do it in the dark
or they would throw cold
lead at us and we dont
it very well so we do it
in the night now about that
letter frome the old country i
was not mutch suprised but
things was worse than i thaught
for i should like to be there at
my fathers house a little while
[page 4]
know about the boots i want
you to look after them right
away bicknal knows what
i want apair of good heavy
french calf skins lined all
through the fot and make
the legs whide enough to
get my pants in them and
put two rows of nails round
the heall and a pair of gloves
not mittens i cannot handel
a gun with mittens fil the pail
butter and get metcalf to
look after them and rush
them a long rite to me as
soon as you get this and
send me a invelope and a piece
of paper so i can rite back
home when you rite to me
i should like to hear from
bill brown and is directions
when you rite so good by
this time to you and my little
girl the ons i want to se the most