[Pierce?] April the.. 14th ..1861
Mr Mobly Der friend
it is with much plasure that I
now seet my self for the purpose
of answering your letter which I
received a few days since
I am enjoying good health at present
and hope this may reach you enjoying
the same blessing I have no news of
importance to write you crops look prosp-
erous at this time and the wether is exceed-
ingly beautiful
we have qarrelling fiting bucketletters
and hell to play generally in plack shere
the other knight ane officer put a drunk
man in the gard house in the morning just
as he opened the door he caught a deel
of the damedest floging that you ever
read of he then swore that he had put
his last man in the gard house so he
has resined his office and I dont blame
hime
Jim I Do wish you was downe
about a month of Sundays with me
in this back woods land we could
mov things according to hoil [1]
we could take the rag off the bush
[page 2]
sparking a little
the othe sonday I remained at home all
the fore part of the day lone ly
in the after noon I saddled my horse and
with a rapped pace rode over to see Miss
I shant say hoo we got in to an agreable
conversation supper soon arrived the old man
called on me to ask a blessing I sat there
like a dutch [?ew?] at an irish wedding did
not know what to do at length I
stamered out some thing as not to be
distinkly understood and it all passed
off well after supper I passed a few words
with my der and got of as quiet as possible
I spent a long linesome week but at lenth
Sunday morming dorned again I lost no
time but started early to see my intended
when I reached the place the old folks were
gone to a neighbours house she proposed that
we rode out to church unfortunately we
had a creek to cross and about the time we
got there we got in to close conversation now
thinks I while we are crossing this creek
is my time to pop the question and acted
accordingly just at this moment my cursed
horse started at some unnkown object even
before she had time to give me an answer
he plunged me to the bottom of this
[page 3]
infurnal muddy creek I will leave
you to guess what I thought at
that iem there I was wet and muddy as a
drowned rat my sonday trp was lost
and more than all I missed hereing this
all important answer
does this not beet old hells norns off
close up to his head instead of
going to church we had to go back I
saw here safely back home whe said I
must not mind this accident would happen
some times
but is this not enough to disincourage any
lover mould you go back again
but say Jim what sort of a fool was
that you wrote to me about was he a fool
for the want of sence or a fool wihout
sence let us here a little more of him
as I have no news of impor tance to write
you I must beg leave to be excused
ples wrrite soon and give me all the news I
Cannot excuse such short letters
nothing more at present

believe me to be your
true friend
E A Elliott
excuse bad writing and mistakes if you plees