[this letter is written in pencil and the handwriting is very difficult to read]

1862
Camp near Cumling gap [1] the 27
Ky August
my Dear wife I Seat my Self to Drope
you a few Line wich Leaves me well
hoping when thes ma Comes to hand
that thay may find you all well
I will say to that James Jinks [2] and 
George Hunnicut [3] has been in the Hospital 
but thay are in Camps Now and are
well you Rite to me know wethe
I wash my Self or hire som body
[???] I wash my self I will say
to that when we [???] Reach [???]
theat we had a Little fight we killd
yank [????????]
we then Left ther and went to C[?????]
and stad there a few Days and
they Move to this place we got
to this place yestady we are in about
ten miles of the yanks I want
want you to Rite how my farm
is get along I want to se you
and the Children very I want
you to Rite how it has ben wether
it has ben wet or try [4] Rite as Soun
as you get this we have a very bad
[???] of riting here we have not
[page 2]
Ink you will please xCuse this letter
for I hav no ink I want you to write
how all our folk is I want to
hear from them all we are look
ing for a Battle here in a fiew
Day I ReCived your letter the
17th of this month I would Be
glad you would write as often
as yow Can while we was Comeing
through the mountains the water
was verry Bad we had to Drink
pon[d] water we hav Been liveing
on Rosting years 56 Days
I Study about you and the Children
Day and night I want you to
Send me a Braid of yours and
the Childrens hair I want you
to put them all Separate
So I Can tell them a
part there is about 300
Bushwhackers in this Country
the yankeys is Clost By we
are looking for them
evry Day I will Close
& I Remain yours until Death
Wilburn thompson Wilbern