Saltville virginia
Dear Wife I take my seat this
eavning to drop you a few lines
to let you know that I am well
and I hope that this will come
to your hand in due time and
find you and the children all well
we have been 5 days comeing from
north carolina we got here to day
we had a very good time to come in
it has rained some to day on us
John heard give me your letter
and I was glad to hear from you
and to hear that you and the chil
dren was well
I dont think that the yankees
will under take to attact this
place they did come in five
miles of here on the 9th of April May
but would not come any far
ther they are gone out by
withville
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general Morgan is after them
he has dispatched back that
he was giveing them fits and
that he wanted help there is
two general gone to help him
it is said that our men has
whiped the yankees at richmon
I never heard what the yankees
loss was but they say that
our loss is twenty thousand
I expect that it was nier
fourtty thousand
the yankees has got doublin
is on the rail road betwen
withville and linchburg so you
see that the mail is stoped so
that we cant send and any
letters to you but I want you to
any how this is 13 letters to
you since I left you rite as
soon as you get this J A McMurtrey