Novr 20 64 Indian Chief Charleston S C
My deare wife I take the pleasure to
inform you that I recieved your letter
of the 11th on Saturday yesturday and I was
very glad to heare from you all and to heare
that you was all toleroble well and it found
me well as common and you rote to me to no
wheather my complaint in my head had got
it is just about as it was when I left home
your letter states that the last letter you had
recived stated that I had not heard from home
but I have heard from home two or three times
and was very glad I tel you it is the next thing
to seaing you and I have answerd evry letter
that I have received and I have rote several
besides I have rote eight or ten to you and I
Sent you some few stamps in the last two or
or three letters george is well they gave
five of us liberty last friday and I and george
went over to town and went to the market
and thare I saw more thing to eet then I ever
saw in all of my life and the most people
men wimming and children and negroes
and that was the first woman or child
that I have seen in six weekes but they ware
no satesfaction to me for if I cant see you and
the children I dont care wher I see any or not
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but I live in hopes that the time will
soon come when we will see each other
a gain they talk rite strong of pease and
god grant it may come speadley for I tel
you that I want to see home again but I
fare very well as good as I care a bout ond
ley I should like to have some apples and
some other little things but I hope that I
shal get a furlow some of these days if the
ware is not over for a few days for I would
be glad to see you all if it was ondley one
day I cant tel you when but I shal try some
time next month but sergant Berney sez he
dont expect that any of us would get a furlow
untel we went on bord of the iron clad and
I expect it will be two or three weeks yet before
She is reddy but we cant tel we ondly heare
some say so look Spruel sends a leter in mine
and wants you to send it to ashbury arnolds
and he can send it to his familey I am very
sorry that our people is so carless and so mene
but I can but pray to god to protect you
for he is able and he is all that is able for
they cant blame me for beaing heare for I
dont want to be in the ware at all and I
rote to you some time ago to let father take
that colt and keep her as his own untel firther
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orders and that brandy that you must
take the best care of it you can I
cant tel you what to doe with it
for the best but I hope you wont be
botherd my deare dont be dis hartened
try to carry on as well as you can and
it will be all rite with me and if you
want any assistance you must call on
william or alford gaylord untel I
get home and I rote to J M gurga[??]
to attend to that place on long ridge
untel I return and so you nead not
bother your self you must do your
best untel I come and pray for me
to get back with all your might an
d I will pray for you we have sin
ging and pray ing evry nite and they
pray to god for you all besides all of
also and but we have no preaching
here but god is able to cumfort and
protect you in all times of troubles
he is my greatest cumfort in this
world while I am off from home so
fare give my best respects to all enquir
ing friend and tel them that I am a
farring very well at present and I
pray to god that I my continue to do so
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untel I get home again and I hope
that weill be this winter some time
and that to stay until death
and I want you all to be chearful
and think what a happy time it will
be when we all get back home and
the ware is over and the we can
talk of what has past I pray to god
evy day for that happy hour whe we
can see our loved ones again I recon
mary Etter can run all about by this
time and tel Henry and olivea victory [1]
that I wish they had some of the sugar
and me with it but if I can get a furlow
to come home I will fetch some if I can
and some candy to and tel John bowen
to put my part of that corn in the barn
at the old place and if I dont get back
he can tend as much as he can if he
will I must come to a close by say
ing that I hope the lord may be
with us all and protect and defend
is and a findley save us all at last
is my cincer prayers fare well my dear
wife rite me as often as you can and i will
doe the same back to you your cincer husband untel
death
H H Bowen