Petersburg Va
Nov the 18 1862
Dear cosin I
once more take the privilidge of
Righting you a few lines To inform
You that I am injoying the hap
Happiest blessing of this life
That is good health for it is one
of the gratest Blesing of this life
And I hope and Trust in god the
Ruler over us all that he will aid
And assist me in so doing the reminder
of this wor hoping when theas few
Lines reaches you they may fing you
Enjoying the gratest and happiest
Plesure of this world cosin I no nothing
of enny importance to right to you
for the prosspecks of peace with us is
Dull and the hops of seing you all
in short is unvisirble [1] to me but I
Have hops for if it want for hops hart
Would burst cosin I was pasing throw
[page 2]
throw the horspital at Petersburg
Last Friday looking over the sick
Whare thare war hundreds lying on
Thare Bunks seing if I could place
My eye on A friend I had not gon
But a few steps before I found Rufus
Mitchell with little exspectation
Lying vary low and you may be
Well assure it put a sad feeling
on me and when I spoke to him he
Bursted out crying and said o
Jody have I seen you again I had
No Idie of ever seing you no more
for I am most gon you donte no
How glad I was to meat with him
And he to meat with me whiles I
Was talking with him he told me
Whare I could find Jim Jernigan
And Wm James and
Wm are ond the mend but
Rufus are vary low but I think he
[page 3]
Will get well if he is prudent Tell
Mrs Cobb Wm kail is looking vary
Bad but he is getting well o cousin
If I could se you how glad I would
Be for I want to se you so bad I
Donte know what to do for I get so
Somtimes I cannot govern my one
Mind for we have troubles and trials
Hear to incounter with hear o cosin
if I never se you no more in this
World I hope to be prepard to meat
You in heven for I have no relation
In this world that I love like you
Except my own dear sisters and I
Hope god will bless you all forever
Right me wheather you got that
Ring I sent to you By dorsy Haggard
or not I want you to give Uncle
And Ant and all of the childring
My love and best respecks an also
Ant celia and ant pat and the childring
[page 4]
I have nothing more to right to
you at this time only I want you
To Right to me as soon as you get
My letter give Miss Martha
My love when you se her I will
Come to a close By saying [??????]
Williy the time has ben
When peace and plesus we did se
But now that has all flown a way
Beyond the reach of me or you
But I hope the time is drawing near
When me and you will meat again
Yours truly from abstance
Cosin
Joseph .J. Cowand

Winaford A. Cowand
My sweete and darling cousin
[hand-drawn picture of Confederate flag in lower left of page]