[the entire letter is in the same hand, probably that of Christie McNeice]

Hickory Grove July 7th
1862
Dear Son,
I now seat myself to answer
your letter that I received last friday which gave me
great satisfaction to hear that you was well. I can
say to you that we are all up I am just getting over
a very bad cold and cough it seems to me like I
have had the worst cough that I have had since
I had the hooping cough, as to the boys they
have all kept going except Green he lay up one
half day Edy has been hopping about with a pain
in her hip she has very night wore herself out
waiting on Becca I think Becca has got about as well
as she intends to get she has not milked a Cow
nor cooked a meels victuals since she was first taken
sice the Doctor delivered her the next day after you
left she appeared to be mending slowly for about
two weeks, then she was taken as women are
liable to be taken under such circumstances and
reduced very low I had to send for the Doctor again
he came three or four times. when he dismissed
her he said she was doing as well as she could under
the circumstances enough of this. Your Uncle John
said he had answered your request concerning the
crop your ground peas looks tolerably well, and your
water mel vines too If we have no bad luck we will
[page 2]
be able to lay by every thing that you planted in
tolerably good order, our white pease look pretty well
I got all the Potatoe ground set out by cutting vines
Our stock looks tolerably well the oxen are in
very good order I think they have grown a good eal since
you saw them your young mule stands work very
well, better than your Horse we have 13 little Pigs
they suck the old white sow the no eared sow and
one of the blue Sows the little black sow has one pig.
I recieved the money you sent me I have 95 Dollars
on hand I received four dollars last saturnday for corn
I think I have about half of the corn yet that was
put up in the shucks and I think I have about half
of the meat yet I have a good many nice chickens
large enough to fry and some of them rather too large
I shall have to take some of the money to pay for the
carding of my wool I have got it washed and picked
and reddy to send to the Factory I have just 25 lbs
I have heared that I could get my wool carded at
the same old price by furnishing fat to grease it
with if they furnish the grease they have 25 cts
per pou[n]d Your Uncle John says he will carry
his wool and mine to the Factory as soon as he
can get off. Factory thread is 3 dollars per bunch
Repass does not sell at any price. I have not give
in my Tax yet Doctor Fergasson was elected Tax Receiver
not long since and has been around yet, as to your
Black Smith work I have not had but one days
work done yet and Old man Isaac done that,
[page 3]
You have several times said that you did not think
it was any harder to keep out of dissipation there that is was
while you was at home I try to pray that the
Lord may enable you to resist all temptations
as Christiana wishes to write a few lines I will
bring letter to a close write as soon as you get
this I want to hear from you just as often a[s]
I can It does help my feeling mightly when I hear
from you and hear that you are well let me hear from
you again soon nothing more at but remain your
your most affectionate Mother until death

Mary .E. Ivey
to W. H. Ivey

Dear Cousin
As Aunt Eliza did not finish
this page I write a few lines to let you know how
I am getting along we have right lonesome times
but I have enjoyed myself better since I have been
here than I expected too I have visited about a little
among the Girls I and Amanda Collins spent
the day yesterday with the Misses Murchison
I have been here Just two weeks yesterday and
not a word have I heared from home yet If I
could hear from home often I could be better satisfied
Cousin William you must excuse me for writing
such a short and sorry letter the other day I did not
write all that I wanted too Aunt Eliza wanted to
[page 4]
write some too Uncle John was to carry it to his
house he came back from the mill sooner than
we expected and did not have time to wait for us
to finish he said he would finish out the other side
which he did. Cousin Madison left last monday
for Camps of instruction and has not returned yet
Cousin Mary will expect home the last of this week
we heared from Cousin Mary this morning they were
all well I havent got time to write any more this
time I ought to have ruled this but I did not
have time I want to write a letter to Bud this
morning and send it by Lieutenant Murry he
expects to start for Richmond tomorrow morning
I have not heared from Bud since I left home there
has been a gret deal of figthing done since I heared from
him whether his life has been spared through the battle
I cannot tell I only have my hopes I pray that when
I do hear from him I will hear that he is unhurt.
I must close my badly written letter excuse
writing and mistakes if you please you know who
it was written by write to me soon as you get this
scibble I will close by subscribing myself your
most affectionate Cousin
Priss McNeice