Dalton Gea April
the 4 1864
Mrs M A McCorkle
my Deare wife I take this tim
to right you a fwe lines to let
you know that I am in good
health at this time and I
fiel glad and thankfwl
to my maker for it and
I do hope Dear mat these line
will reach you in safty and
find you and the children
all well well mat we are still
heare yet and as hwngry as ever
owr rations very shorte but
thank god we make out to
to live on it we have had wether
her know I have know nuse
to right that would interest
you mat you must right
and right me all the nwese
about the thingks in general
mat plant a big tater pacth
if you Can get Sede
well mat I do
want to se you and the
[page 2]
children very bad and I thin
k about it some times tell
it semes that I hardly kno
where I am my Deare mat
when I am walking my
post on garde in the dead
owrs of knight when you
Can heare nothing but the slow
tread of the wery sentinel
feat as he walkes from post
to post my thowghts rwn
back to gon by dayl and
it semes that I have kow one
to lock to and it semes thare
is know one to Care for me
but then I think thare is a
murciful god that dos all
things well and my thowght
rwn back home and I think
of you and think thare is
one at least that Shar my
trowblrs and I chere up and
try to put my trust in god
hope for beter days and
that the time will soon
come when this wicked
[page 3]
ware will have a end and
we will have the ingoy ment
of being to geather
well my Deare mat we went
through the motion of a grate
Sham battle the other day
and it was a grand seen and
we will have one the first
fare day we are to fier three
rounds of blank cartrigs
a pease it will be a grand
seen know dought
mat tell the
children all howdy and tell
them to send me word how
much they have lerned and
to try and see which one
can lern the most and to
be good children and to
mind and obey you
and tell Swe [1] to keep Clean
and to Keepe her head Comed
and to be a wise garle and
to lern her book fast
my Dear mat try to in cur
eg them and make them
[page 4]
live right
well mat give
my love to mary and the
children and tell mary
that Jass is in beter healthe
than I ever saw him and
he is fatning up
well my Deare
mat right to me evry
weake and chere up and
put your trust in god
and remember me in yours
prars and bleve that there
is one that never forgets
you in his feble efforts

So no more
I rem
ain your husband

John McCorkle