Illinois Brown County June the 22 1858
Dear Mother Brothers and Sisters I imbrase
the presant oppertunity of writing A few
lines to you to let you all know that
we are in common helth except Elizabeth
her caugh still continues and she looks very
bad and has no stumic to eat we recevd
your letter dated May the 27 with much
joy to here that you were all well
I am glad to hear that David Headrick
and Barbary are satisfide in Misoury I rote
to Barbara on the 16th of May and have recevd
no ancer yet Brother Benjamine rote A few
lines to me on the 16 tenth of May that he
was well at that time he was then in Macen
County Mo and said he thought he would
stay thare about amonth and the he was
going to David Hedricks then back to Ills
So I look for him sometime in July if he
does come back he can tel us how he likes
that country and whether he thinks people
can dwo better to go thare then they can here if
not and we du not get much better
sattisfide then we have bin yet you
may look for us back this fall for I dont
think we shal stay here but I dont expect
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tofind better land enewhare then thare is
in this country but thare is other things agane
we do not like so well I think it would
be well for people to know what kind of
A country they are going to before they
brake up to move for it is very expensiv
besides the troble and then not satisfide when
they git thare ) we had A wet and cool
spring untel about the 10 of June sense it
has bin very warm and dry corn looks
sorey for the time of year some people are
planting yet on acount of the wet and water
the Ills river was from 4 to 8 miles wide at
the ferys and when we crost last fall we
supposed it was about A quarter of A mile
so thare is no corn planted in the river
botoms this seson ) wheat is not as good as it
would abin if it would not bin so
ch rain thare wont be eney cut in this
month I would like to know how your crops
are coming on and whether you expect to git of
to Mo this fall and whether eney of the rest
hav got in the noshing to move I would
like to see you all and Barbara and her
folks the best kind I would hav rote to her
sooner but I thaught they could rite
as well as I ) I think people could doo
A greatele better if they would try
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and make some of thar clothing and not
by quite so much and try and worke A
little emore Theophilus I think if you was here
and would worke as you doo thare you mite
soon git rich or eny of the rest if you
would like the country for people doo not
worke half thare time here ) I will now
tell you sumthing About Cousin
William Frank he has got the house
and land as he rote to you I suppose
tho we have not bin to see him yet
but he came to see us last febuary
and stade two knights with us and
when we found out he wanted money
sade if he could not git it his waggin
and teem of cattle would be sold
the next weak I suppose it was not sold
by al acount he is agoodeal behind this is
the case with A great meny people in
this country Cousin John Frank has not
rote A single word to his Brother in this
contry as I have herd ) dont let this
discorig you we promist to send you the
truth and I am going to doo it as
neare as I can our connections are all
well as fare as I know in this country
So I must come to aclose
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we would like to now how the
mind is coming on by this time
so nomore at this time

William Boss and family to all
our connections our people in NC

rite as soon as this comes to hand
and let us no how you are doing
I would like to hear often from
you