March the 29 1863
dear sun [1] I sete my self down
to rite you afue lines wich
will in form you that
we air all well hopin
that those fue lines may
rech and find you in joyen
the same good blesings dear
sun I have no neas to rite
to you of impornce more then
i want to no wher you air
and what you air doing
i am veary on easy a bout you
and all the rest I hear
that tha 59 regiment has goin
to newborn and have had
afite thear our popel tuck
back a pece of rail rode
from the yankeys and fore
in comens campny has got back
to kinston and 4 of them got
wounded but the 59
regiment had not returned
back when I hird frome thar
[page 2]
and I heard that you had
afite at fredricks burg
and I am on easey I have
seen more truble than my
tung can tell theare is
hard times hear and mor
a coming corn is three dollars
and fifty cent and nun at
that rice twenty cent a pound
bakin eighty cent pur pound
and the yankeys is takin all
the wimonds at
newborn but if tha got
me the will have a race fore
it we air all plantin
hear martha is wevin she
can weve three and fore yards
a day I think it is purty
smart fore the first but
she has got hirn out and
wevin on a nother pece
John you seay that you want
to see [holy?] shelten and I wish
[page 3]
that you could come
and see it and see my
martins I have got the
old martin and some young
ones and I am tring to tame
them but I make a bad
start so I must come to
a close by sain the family
is all well exseptin your
father in law he has pain
in his neas and back but
[???] [???] he is most dun
plantin nothen more at
presant only remain your
Affectionly mother tell
deth rite soon as you
receve this and fail
not Catherin Ramsey
to Mr John Futch