Camp Near Vicksburge
Feb 6 – 1863

My Dearley
beloved wife I take this
oppertunety of Riting you a few
lines in ansure to your kind
letter witch I Recived Jan 31 you
cant tell how much it Satiesfid
my mind to Read your kind
letter & heare that you was all
well I cant Sleep of anite for
thinking about your all ding
with the small pox I heard
that old man hall had
bin to atlanta & exspected
that he would Scater it
throught that Setelment
& Shure anuff he don So
but I hope that you will be
on your gard about that &
stay at home as much as you
posebel can I want you all to
be vaxanated if you hant
bin & if it dont take well
try til it will I want you to
gard aganst Sickness as much
as you can fur if I ever git
to come home I wnat to see you all
[page 2]
I would a Rote tusday or wensday
but I was not abel & it Raind all
day & was So cold that I had to
lye Rapt up all day in the tent
I havent bin abel to do eny
duty for 2 weaks or more I
have the dyorhee & eat nothing
til I cant hardley walk I have
fell away 21 lbs cence I came heare
we git nothing to eat but the
corses corn meal you ever Saw
& the pores beefe we git Shugar
& sirup aplenty but I cant
eat that & cant git nothing
that I can eat a hogs head
without the Jole is one dollar
& back bone is 40 cents per
pound & the haslet is one dollar
& you cant by eny thing elce
but I do truley hope that these
few lines may find you all
in good helth I want to no
wither you git eny thing
to eat or not I want to no
how you are giting along
I the> will no what to do
[page 3]
fur before you Shal Suffer
I will Run away at the Riske
of my life Some body Stold 9
midlings of meat & 7 Joints from
John Pitmans wife you most
keep what litel you have very
close I would give 5 dollars if
I had it fur a mess of chicken &
dumplins & coffey & So on as we
use to have so I could Set down
& eat my fill but I am afraid
that we never will enjoy them
plasures no more the 26 of Jan
the yankeys came dow[n] in Site
of vixburge with abot 60 or 70
transports & a large number of
gun bots & landed one the other
Side of the Rive & aSunday morning
tha fetch a gunbote down by
town & tha fired ther canon
at it but never hit her atall
the yankeys will have this place
before 1 month & I doant no what
will become of us but I hope
that I will the balls but
no man noes when he is in danger
[page 4]
I got aletter from hammons
the Same day I got yours tha are
all well I havent got eny letter
from alabama yet & I Rote thare
soon after the fite I want you to
tel me how much Mr Polk got
fur his mills & place & if he Sold
Mrs Henrys too & all about it &
if he has give up the mills or
not & if the Miller is a good
nabour & how times is Jenrley
So I must come to a close so you
must provide the best you
can & it may be the will of
the lord that we may one
time or other may Set Round our
fier with our littel famley in
peace & hapyness we must hope
fur the beter of the w day
come Rite Soon I want you to
mail me aletter evrey friday tell
all the children howdy & kiss them
good by H.. W.. Robinson to
Elisabeth Margret & the
children Rite Soon if not
Sooner