Baker Co Ga May the 14 1861

Dear father and Mother and Sisters and
brother I take the present opportunity
of droping you A few linds in forming
you we are all well or as well as comon
we have bin to church and Sabbath
School twice their was to be preaching
the last day but the preachers wife is very
low I heard She was dying yes today eavning
I have bin to See her twice She has the
tifoid feaver She has bin Sick 17 days
the feaver has never bin cool on her yet
She has three little children and and husband
leave be hind to mourn their is
A right smart of sick ness round their
has bin several deaths the complant is A
kind of mumps they cal it dipthera
I havent Seen any of them with it
yet, their is acompany of volintears
made up in Nuton we have bin helping
aunt Ann to Sew for them we have made
A coat pants and too Shirts Martha
and I went down to See them drill an
us and Som others one day I tell you their
was A croud of men down theri to go to
fight for their freedom I tell you
it is a pityful Sight to See
[page 2]
May the 15
Mary I am not very well this morning
May the 15 but the rest of the famley is well
as comon I was very Sorry to hear that
our minister had joined the companey and
like wise the rest of them but I think
their is enough of boys to go without
him but if he think it is his duty
he must go but I hope that I wil
get to hear him preach before he leaves
I think I wil if he aint gon before
the 1 first Sabbath in June that is if I
live and is able to get their I would
enjoy my visit fineley if the poison
wasent So plenty the week after we
hear Some of the negroes gave uncles favoriate
dog A dait [1] it was true we dont know what 
it was yet Saturday night after
they poisened the dog their was 4 four men
runaway uncle cut out after them the next
mor ning and caught 3 three of them
by monday night the other one came home
last monday night he is in the meat house
now it keeps me uneasey all the time
Mary C Pen[??]
Mary E