february 2nd 1862 [1863]
Dear Wife I take this opper
tunity to inform that I am
well except coad and I hope
that this will find you well
and my Sweet little Willie
well and pert and fat as ever
I reseived your letter of the 28 Dec
and was glad to hear from
you all and espesialy to hear
that you was well and to
hear that my Sweet Willie
did not use bad words O
may heaven Smile up on him
I have nothing of importance to
rite to you more than I
would like to see you all
very mutch and to be
with you all and have
a while to talk with you
and to walk over them hills
and look at them it would
be a grate satisfaction
[page 2]
we live in a little house a
bout one quarter of a mile
from Jeffersonville and
have very kind neighbors
they treat us with grate
kindness I went to one house
one day to buy some meat
the good woman said
you must have some if
you hant got any So She
went to the Smoke house
and Sold me a Jaw and then
give me about two pound
of sausage meat
we bought Some beans
and had nothing to cook them
in and I went to a house to
get something to cook them
in I told the woman what
I wanted She Said I have
none but what I use but you
must have one — turn over
[page 3]
the way the land lies in this
country is the Strangeest that
I ever seen a spring will
start out of a hill and run
some times two miles and
then run up a gainst a
hill and run through the
hill and come out on the
other Side of the hill
we have been looking for
the yankees for several
days but they have not come
yet and I dont think they
will come at tall
it is said that we will
go to tenesee as soon as the
roads get so that we can travel
but wheather it is so or
not I can not say
but there is one thing
that I can say I would
like to be at home — turn over
[page 4]
we went a bout 15 miles af
ter hay and the man where
we got the hay would not
let us Stay in his house
but toald us to go in the
kitchen this man was a
rich man he gave us
about half enuff to eat
at Supper they gave us two
Straw beds and two quilts
for 8 of us to ly on
the next morning we got up
and left with out our
breakfast I had forgot
to say that there was snow on
the ground that night
and it a raining at that
I drove a bout 6 miles and
stoped and got my breakfast
so I must come to a clse by
saying I remain yours un
til Death J.A McMurtrey