february 7th 1863
Jeffersonville tasell county
Dear Wife I take this
oppertunity to inform you
that I am well except cold
and I hope that this will
come to hand in due time
and find you and my
Sweet little Willie both
well and doing well
I have nothing of importance
to rite to you more than I would
like to see you all and be with
you I could tell you a heep
a bout this country and
what I have seen and heard
since I left you all
but when shal I be permited
to come and see you — ever
I hope so there is they say
more hopes of peace now
than there ever has
been — o may heaven smile
up on us and make our
enemys want peace = turn over
[page 2]
on the night of the 4th of feb
it began to Snow and the
wind did blow so hard
that it blowed the fenses
down and the trees in the
most turible manor that
I ever saw the little
house that we live in
shooked and cracked
in sutch a maner that
I expected that it would
blow down but it did
not fall
on the 5th of feb the wind
continued to blow so that
we never turned a wheel
it was the most turable
day that I saw the wind
blowed and the snow
fell so fast that I
could not see a man 50
yard to tell what he
was I never saw the like
before in my life
[page 3 ]
while I am riteing it is snowing
we have had 21 snows this winter
Jess and Henry and Bill is well
I want you to rite to me and
all a bout how the people is
makeing out a bout something
to eat
has your father got a wagon
and steers or not and if he
has got puss and the mule
and colt yet or not
I you to rite wheather lady
has had any more pigs
or not and if pink is
gone dry or not and if
you have enuff to winter
her on or not and if the
hens has layed any or not
and if you have any chick
en and dumplings or not
and if Jeff Waits is gone
to the war or not
and how Ben freeman
likes the service = turn over
[page 4]
I want you to rite to me
what Jack is going to do
this year whether he is
going to make a crop or
what he is going to do
I want you to rite to me what
tom and levi Wilson and
frank trumble is doing
and what they say is the
reason that they dont
come back
I dont want you to
let any body cut any
green timber on our
land for I dont want it
destroyed
the last letter that I got
from you was riten the
28 of Dec
rite often as you can
and dont be mad at
me because I rite as of
ten as I do so good bye
J. A McMurtrey