This Jan the 11 th 1863
My Dier Wife i am
Thankfull tha i can tell
you that i am well an
harty an i hop when thes
few lines coms to your lovely
hands thay may find you
an my lovly litle children
well an engoining your
selvs the best you can mag
you must not griev yow
self for yow know i[t] will
do no good yow said yow had
rote mee 4 or 5 letter since
that one you pwt the p[l]at
of hair in i think i hav
got all of your letters as soon
as thay cold come 6 or 7 days
is the oldest date excpt that
on[e] i have the plat of your
hair which i expect to bring
home to yow some day i
Still think i will get home
yow said thowght of mee
[page 2]
evry nite wheather I
had a good bed or not
i hav a very good bed
an plenty of civer 4 blan
kets an 2 sheets yow said yow
wold like to wrigt to mee
evry week i want yow to
wright as often as you can
for i love to her from you
i think of yow an my
litle children evry day i
live mag when when wee
hav peace agin wee will
engoy owr selvs the balance
of owr days to gether yow said
something of goin to see J L
Lazeby i rote him a letter
about 3 weeks ago bwt got no
answer i dont want yow to
wa[l]k so fair yow said yow
sorry yow cold not send mee
some thing to eat yow need
not grieve a bow that wee can
get a very good dinner for 50cts in [??]
[the rest of the letter is missing]