Plymouth Washington County November the 1st 1864
My Dear husband we are are all well at present and hope
theas few lines may find you the same father has bin very
sick but is som better at present he had something like th bilious
fever the rest of the family is well your fathers family is
well Rodah has a daughter named Rodah james she is rite
smart Mary E ses tel george she is well and the children and
she has a very large fine boy he is a nice fellow and josepegne
is with her yet and her pa has got in the most of her crop
lieuveinie Allen has a daughter and little joeanna Bowen is
dead I am geting along with crop tolerable well it is with
trouble in heart that I rite you the news plymouth is
fallen in the hands of the yankees agin to my sorrow and
you gone on thursday night the 27 of October it was very dark
and rainy the yankees sliped up on the iron clad [1] and threw
torpeders under her and blew a hole in her I heard they
took the men that done it they dident injer her so but what
she could of bin mended I havent heard how it went on
friday on saturday I heard a great many guns and sunday
I heard some on monday sunday night they went through
middle river and got to ware with thar boats
and ware above and below plymouth with thar boats and
landid a land force above and below plymouth and the boats
[????????] on the iron clad and I guess she couldent
work they had to blow her up John Hodge was moving
to plymouth and he told me my news I am at farthers
I heard he was sick and brother Caswell ses a soldier
told him this morning that thar was five boats at washington
and orderd the surrender of washington the sutherners
is all leaving the men is all gone that would go carryed
away conscript out of washington County and we left in the
hands of the enemy what we are to do the lord only knows
I expect to be striped of nearly every thing you ought all
be released from the war and sent back home I want you
if thar is aney chance to get released to come back home
[page 2]
you know I was very bad when you ware at home for the
yankees to be a plundering the country through and now you
are gone I have no safe guard and no body to depend on It seemed
very bad for you to be gone and the southeners here and
now it is ten times worse I woldent of had them here for
a thousand dollars oh the lonely and uneasy ours I shall spend
if they had of ben a coming I wish they had of come before
you all had of ben carred away thar will be no chance of
hearing from you only by chance I have receved 4 letters
from you and expect thar was one at town for me when it
fel you hadent heard frome me the last one I got I want
you to rite to keach and get him to send your letters
down to Mr gradleses I reckon that wil be the best
chance to get them send me some postage stamp if you
get this I hope you will get some of them want to hear
from you if I can as long as we live if I never see you
again I must close may the lord bless and protect and perserve
youre life that we may meet again on earth and
be saved in heaven Ann L Bowen