Steamer charleston SC
Sunday Dec 4 /64

my dear wife I have seated my self to
write you a few lines to let you know
that I am well at present and I hope
these few lines may find you all the
Same I rite with a pencil because
this paper is so thin it dont rite good
with a pen and ink I received a
letter from you on wednesday last
and was very glad to heare from you
and to heare that you was all well
and you rote to me to no wheather
I wanted aney close and I [???????] [1]
[???] put in my letter [??????]
[???????] but I cant tel you [??]
I have a plenty of cloase I hav [???]
two shirts and two pare of drawers
and a coat a cap and I shal draw
more before long and I cant get them
from home until I can get a furlow I
expect to try for one in a week or two
and if I get one I will rite you when
I expect to get thare so [?????????]
supprise you and if I cant get it
I will also rite you and I want you
to rite to me as often as you can
[page 2]
for that is the next thing to
seaing you you tel my fother
to rite to me for I have rote to
them and have not receaved the
first letter from none of them
I have received six from you
and answered evry one of them
and rote ceveral besides and you
rote that the last one that I
had not receaved from home
and I dont under stand how that
is for I thought tha I answered
all the questions that you ast
in your letters we fare very well
heare we dont have much to
and we get a plenty of hard tack
and potatoes and rice and beef and
pork we had fresh pork yesturday
and I thought of you then [???]
how well you love it and sugar
and coffee george is well and he
said tel his folks that he ans
werd the letter the other day and
so he should not rite untel he
receaved a nother letter you must
rite me the nuse what the yan
keys is a doing down thare so
[page 3]
I may no what to do if I
get a furlow and I pray to god
that they may not bother you
and what you have got I rote to
you to let father take the colt
and work her untel I get home
again for none of you cant work
her I hope to see you all again
before a great while but I cant
tel the nuse is so conflicting that
I cant tel you nothing for the
truth but they say shearman
has burned chatanuga and is a
trying to get to the sea cost at som
e place and he is in georgia
they say some whare I hope they
may cut him off and tke him
and brake up his armey and
come to some comperymise but
we cant tel we can ondley
pray to god to stop it he can
stop it when even he sease fit
to do so and I cincerley hope that
it will soon be I have sent some
postage stamps in the last four
letters I beleave I 20 cts worth in
one and 10 cts worth in the rest and
[page 4]
I will send 10 cts worth in this
and I hope you will get this
and I hope the next one that
I get to heare that you have
got some of them but if you
cant get no stamps you must
send them so and and rite to
keech at tarborough to male
them and I will pay him the
doctor is a doctering my head
and I will rite to you when I
rite a gain how it is ondley bin
doctoring it two or three days and
I cant tel wheather it does any
good or not I have not bin on
land but onetime and I rote you
about that you must carry on
the best you can and manage
things as you think best for I
cant advise for you now for I
am two fare off but I hope the lord
will be with you in all of your
troubles and cumfort your mind and
protect you from all harm is the
prayers of your cincer husband
and I hope he will protect me from
all harm and save us all in heaven
at last is my prayers good by H.H.Bowen