East Tenn Claborn County
Camp Near Cumberland Gap
Sept 4 1862
Dear Wife I take the prese
nt oppertunety of Riting you
a few lines to let you no
that I am well at this
time hoping that thes few
lines may find you all
well & doing well I have
Returnd to my compney again
I had the mumps & could not
work & tha wanted me to wor
when I was not abel tha Sade
I must work & the doctor told
me not to work alick under two
weaks & tha wanted me to work
last Saturday & Sunday & I told
them that I would be damd if
I would Stricke anuther lick
& I took my goods & went to
my Compney & tha was all
pround to Receive me I Rote
to you that I woul Sell my
[page 2]
gun but the man that
wanted it hant got the money
& I doant no when draw day
will come & I have no use for
a note on aman heare & tha
all think that our Second
lewtennent will be turned
off & he thinks so him Self
& tha want me to Run for
that office all my frendes
Say my Election will be Shure
So I thought I would keep my
littel gun til I Saw more about
it & if I am elected I will keep
it my Self I Rote you aletter
last thursday & Sent you five
dollars in it & Rote one a Saturday
& Sent 1 ½ cards of hooks & eyes
& Johns Ring & I will Send you
five dollars in this I lost most
5 dollars the other day I baught
5 dollars worth of tobacco & was
[page 3]
going to Sel anuff to git my
money back & have some tobacco
left & I laid it down & went
off & Some body stold it I had
Sold Something over a dollars worth
of it or tha would a got it all
tha will Steal the bread out
of your haversacks & it hung
to your Side & I have to by my
provishion or the bigest part
of it me and my mess paid [?]
dollars for meat anuff for
Supper & brakefast last nite
& this morning we git Some
days 1 & Some 2 & never git
the[?] 3 biskets a day & one top
of a bisquet at ameal is a bad
chance for aliving one at a
time is not half a nuff
I git the lewtenents place I git
Eighty dollars per month but
I will have to bord my Self
[page 4]
& by me a Sworde it will
Jest about take 80 dollars to
bord you as hard as times is
going to be I havent much to rite
at this time my head has bin a
wool gethring for several days tha
are after me to join a artilrey
compney & my compney doant want
me to leave my mess is pitrley
apose to my going so I Recon I
will have to Stay tha thowed
there Bums at us aSunday like
the old boy was in them tha fell all
Round me at the Shop one struck
close to a woman & child & civerd the
child nearley up with the dirt it tore
up tha Shot 90 times at us &
quit we went & Stold 4 hundred bushels
of wheat from them Saturday nite &
tha was mad about it Rite Soon
tell the children all howdy fur me
give my Respects to my frends but keep
the best your Self ansure all thes letters
in Short notice good by H. W. Robinson
To Elisabeth & Margret & all the children
be Shore & Rite wither you git these