Washington Co Long Acre January the 9th 1865
My dear thanks be to the Lord I have receved
three letters from you since I rote the 31 of december
yours of December the 4 I receved January the 2 yours of
December the 15 I receved January the 8 also Decem
25 January the 8th the one you rote a christmas
day is all the letter that I have receved while
it was aney ways new except that piece that
was in georges letter in a long time they keep [??]
some whar till they get old before I can get them
I dont blame you I know you rite every week but it make
so made to think through some boddy neglect I cant
get my letters and I a wanting to hear from you
as bad as I can for when I can get a letter
in a few days after it is rote it is all most
like seeing you I feel like I now how you are getting a
long but when they are so old I dont no what has
happened I havent got the one in answer to mine
of the 16 of october that you spoke of riteng about
John Bayner to me you spoke of him in one of the
last ones they found us all well except Cornelia
ann my toe that I spoke of droping the stick of
wood on has got so I can wear my shoe and my thumb
has got well Cornelia ann has bin very bad
[page 2]
off I will tel you how she was as near as I can
two or three weeks before christmas when she would
squat down she would say she she had the ruma
tism for her nees and ankels hurt her so bad I thot
northing of it chistmas week every morning she would
complain of her heel strings being very sore william had
just made her a pair of shoes they were rite smart
and stiff and high I thought it was her shoes
hurt her heels strings saturday before new years
day she went to pennys when the land was
rented out and that evening she complained of
of a sore throat new years day she stilled complained
of sore throat and feeling chily it was very cold
and rite smart snow on the ground monday morning
she couldent hardley walk her ankle of her
left leg was so sore I began to find out it was somthing
besides her new shoes it began to swell and went
up her leg to her nea monday night she was
taken in the other one and tuesday by twelve
oclock she couldent walk a step it sweld
and was so sore she couldent move her
feet it wasent sore to rub on it but just
move it she would holer it was in the
sinew it went up in her back and in her
arms and hands sholders her hands sweld up
and was sore as aney thing could be whar
you had them thar they had to lye she coudent
[page 3]
no more than a stick even her fingers she
was perfectly helples feet and hands and just
as sore all over as could be old christmas day
she was to lift by mane strength up and down
by next day her feet began to come to and she
gra[d]uly got better til now she can stand along to
day for the first time since last tuesday I dont
noe what was the matter with her some though
it was the rumatism and some thought she had
caught cold on her monthly periods we done every
thing that we thought would do her aney good I
should of got a docter if I coud but docter bell was gone
up the country and thar was no other to get near
than jehu Eborn and she had got a little better
before we found we coundent get bell and then I
thought I would wat and see if she dident get better but
thank the lord she has mended rite fast her rite
hand she cant use good yet but I think she will
soon get up again if she dont get cold she would
have slight chills and some times high fevers
and ache so bad she couldent ly but a little while
she dident have pain but ache and sore she was
the helplessest person I ever saw you knowe
Thomas was bad off and sore and helples but she
was worse than he was for it was in her arms
she couldent help herself one bit when she was
at her worst we have had to sit up with her
most of the time and be up and down some nights
she couldent rest at all ache and hurt so bad
she is a great deal better now rit peart and can eat
a plenty for aney one sick I hope she will soon
be up again sister Mary hapend to come day before
old christ mas and it happened rite she hasent
bin here since you left she could help me
lift her and it took us both all we could do She
staid til friday and she began to mend and she
left Mary ses she is going to rite to you the
neighbours has ben verry good in coming to stay with
me a nights since cornelia ann has bin sick
we have all wished for you a great maney times
to be here to help us lift her if wishing wold
of brought you you would certinley have come but it
wount do aney good so we must make out with
out you the best we can for I hope the time will soon
come when we shal enjoy each others company agin
to stay together until death parts us dont make
your self uneasy about cornelia I think she will get
[page 4]
well again I will rite again as soon as I think it
need ful ifyou can be lucky enough to get it so you can
hear how she is for I hear that the postage stamps is
stold of the letters is aney of mine off I thought perhaps
that was the reason you couldent get mine I puts
mine on with the white of an egg they say they
cant get them of then yours all has stamps
keep the dates of your letters on a scrip of paper
and take care of it and I will do the same and
i will mention the date of every letter I get and you
can do so by so doing we can tel if we get all
of each others letters cousin Nancy Respess sends her
love to you and tel you she is nocking along rite
smart and hopes you will get home again also she
wants you send me one dollars worth of
postage stamps for her george Respess has ben sent
to the caleys of verginia and she cant get none
from him if you pleas she ses send them also
william ses he wants some he hasent got
one it would be the best to send them in differ
letters send me some as you have bin doing for
I dont want to get out I gets very very near out some
times also cousin penny sends her love to you
and wishes you well to come home also Marion
Bayner ses how do for her she hopes you will
get home again I have lots of respects from the
darkes for you they had bin to marthas to the
hog killen and stoped in to see Cornelia ann
Sam sends his best respects to you tel you
he is well and doing the best he can and would
be very glad to see you and hopes you will
get home again also Gil ses how do for her she
is enjoying good helth and staying at home
and expects to tel you come home also ses
give his respects to you and tel you he is well
and he rides your colt some also dan ses how
do for him he wants to see you Olivia ses how
do pa make her a ring and put her name on it and
one for henry two and one for Cornelia I say and
dont no what little Mary etter wants something
pretty pa for I is smart anoughf to get up in
a big chair and fall down some times and say
titta the land was rented the molet place and rige field and
rufus wallis the orcherd william rented that
to its self i have rote you all about it the 31 of decr
I wish I had of got your letter before it was
rented out mr orsbon wanted to pay his so bad
[page 5]
the yankees has not ben out yet to bother me and
I hope they will not come they say thar
aint a grat many at town now they got a whipon
up the river they dident get to rain bow banks
the rebs charged on the boats and killd
them so bad they foun it a bad busness
they have some few things to sell at
but old willis is juge again thar aint
much news at this time a stirring thar
has gone some few negroes to the yankees
Jasper and his wife has gone what is
postage stamps worth some sel them
here for 10 cents in old bank money so
elizabeth oden ses Josephene is marred to
abner Cutler they were marred yesterday
at three oclock in the evening he dident
out his horse come and got marred and sat
and eat afew apples and went off home
Marry dident go her baby was sick
she wouldent of went if it had bin well
She sed it would not of bin no satisfation to her and
georg not thar Sin I comenced my letter I reved your letter
of the 2 of January and I was Certinley glad to get a
new one from you I am glad you have got on your boat
I hope you fare well all the time you have to stay
[page 6]
also I hope when we get fixed up and things
gets quite a furlow to come [ink stain]
home I have sent the colt to your father in
november he got the piece you sent to him
my letter also Rodah got one from you last week
william hasent receved none yet you sed not [stain]
sell aney thing for confederate money I did think
I should have to sel that brandy but I sent
to gomerys and I want to go out thanks [??]
cornelia ann gets well and was thinking
it would be safer at father for gomery [??]
home and somebody might steal it you know
thar is thieves in that place and I dont
to sell aney perveson onley some [???????]
yankeey money to buy some little things [???]
got aney thing yet [??]
the 10 and cornelia ann is rite smart this [??]
she rested better last night through [??]
since she has bin sick I will send you a little
thread I wil send you some in another my
thumb has bin and I couldent spin I must
close for I never get through all I want to
rite I reckon I shant tier you a reading [?] long
the better yours is my dear I hope the lord will
be with you and pertect you from harm and
[???] us to meet again in this world
[???] us in his kingdome [??] last is my prayer Ann L Bowen

[added in margins of first two pages]

I send you theas little bill they wont pass
heare it is some abisha got from the soldiers
before plymouth fell perhaps they will pass thar

martha had a letter dated the 18 of december from langley he was well at the same place
then we heard they wer at willmington wm antony was wounded
I dont know how [??] the feds whiped them at willming ton [??]