[1] Spring field Coal Pitts
Henrico County Va Dear Sister
I receive your Letter A
fiew Days Ago an was glad
To hear from you hear that
you an your family was well
I am well at preasant an
in hopes When these fiew Lines
Come to hand they may find
you an your family injoying
the same Blessing Sister I
wrote A Letter to you some
time after the one that you
ancer an I rote you [???] that
you Must have Me one or too
Stripet shirts By the time
I Comes home May Come home
in August if I dont Come home
in september I want you to
to have Me too Stripet Cotton
Shirts an too pare of [???]
pants an By that time an
I will try to save Anough
Sugar to Pay you an hir
for your trouble tell
[page 2]
be shore to Tell mama this tell
her that I am Comeing hom
in August or september My shirts
an pants ready by that time
an tell her to write me word
wheather she is going to due it
or not Tell mama that I have
writen to her too or three times
an havent got the first Cratch
of a pen from her Tell Puss
if she pleases write to Me
an if she dont please du it
eny hough give My Love to
Edward an save Aportion
for your self an kiss Billie
for Me one thing I Like to
for got you must have My
Shirts as nice as posible for
I will to ware them to see
the girls I in joy My self
finely with the girls evry
Sunday I go to Preaching
or Sunday school evry sunday
of My Life the is some of the
kindest people I ever saw
[page 3]
some of them ask Me to go
with them home evry sunday an
I goes too ough how I dus
talk to the girls I injoy My
self [has?] [?]akly as well as
if I in[???] in My one neighbor
hood give My Love to all
inquire friends if I have eney
I will bring My Letter to A
Close By saying I am giting
Asleepy I would write oftener
if I had the time besides night
or Sunday you Must wright
Me whea[th?]er I ancer your
Letter k[not?] will triy to
ancer evry one though wright
soon nothing More at preas
ant More than I Remain
your affectionate Brother
untell Death
John C. Collins