Ga Janua the 5 th 1863} [1864]
Dier wife & Childrin I take the oppertuny
Off riting to you A few lines I am well
hoping thes few lines may fiend you all
wiell and doing well I them knedels
& Pins that you sent to me I wold have
rote to you suner tho I have Bin wating to
sea if we woldent Draw money you send
word to me to kno whether I that Big
Letter and A sheet of paper I Can say
to you that I did and I all so rece<?> A sheet
in your last letter I dont want you to send
me kno clothes now I have drawn me som
I have drawn A short Coat and A shirt
and A pare off drawers and A pare off
socks and A pare of shoues of Jo B[rowns?] [1]
Gift to the sealders I want you torite
Whether Gaston is A going to stay on with
his mother or not and i want you to rite
To me whether you have got you aney wood
Cut ore not if you havent tri and get
gaston to Cut you sum and i will pay him
fore it I am mity sorry that I aint thare to
Cut you wood we haint draw h[??] meney
[page 2]
yet that is the reason that I havent
rot to you suner I think that we will
Before long I Began to think the times
Long of going home tho i am geting out of
heart of going home ther is kno Chans
onley to run A way and go home when I
send my money home i want you to pay
zack what I oe him and pay Mr. strickl
and fore some beefe I got from him I
want you to have my titels recorded
and all fixt up rite me then take spesh
el Care off them till i Come home I
want zack to louk to my Buisness the
Best he Can and I will pay him fore it
trubel I want you to rite as sune as
you Can and rite all of the nues that you
Can gather we have got shantys fixt
up here and we are in A Better Condi
x shion now than we have Bin in since
we hav Bin out this time & well rite
you A litle and tell you the more
when I get thare kno more at present
I remain your husban till Deth
Willburn Thompson