the of
Camp near Rapratan Station this 3 day aug [1863]
My dear wife I now Seat my Self
to answer your cind letter whitch I
received this morning my dear wife I was
glad to hear from you and to hear that
you and my babe was well my dear
I am [???] well at the present time [1]
and my dear I hope when theas few
lines comes to your hands will find
you boath well and enjoying fine
health my dear Partha you askt me
So earnestly about driving I will
tel you presisly . Roberd . May . and
Peater . Boggs . drives the gun and
me and Daniel drives the casone
carage whitch we hall the amunishion
in we have Six guns a carages
and six amunishion carages I drive
to the amunishion carage me and
Daniel boath I reckon you can
understand it now
[page 2]
my dear wife you Sead Some thing
about my dear little daughters cising
my type god bless hur little hart
how I wold like to Se hur I no
[??] [cold?][??] [it up?] I expect [2]
we will Soon be ordered back to
richmond and if we do you Shal come
to See me I will rite as Soon as
I get thair and you Shal come to
See me for I cant wait eny longuer
I cant get to go to See you and you
Shal come out to See me and if
it takes evry thing that I got
we exspect to get paid off again
before meny days we will get four
months pay I reckon we air
due four months pay my
dear I have no news to rite
my dear you Sead you wonted
me to rite oftner
[page 3]
the reason I did not rite no
Sooner I cold not get no male nor
Send none we did not get eny
male atall when we ware in
maryland not til we got back
in old . V. A. my
how I wold like to [???????]
you Just about two if no
longer then I think I wold
be better Sattisfied for
my dear as Shore as we get at [richmond?]
and get to Stay eny lenth of time
you air bound to come for I cant
do with out Seeing you eny longer
my dear wife I will now close by
Saying to you I remain your most
cincerly and obediant
husband until death
Wright Soon and dont
Delay rite SooSoon my dear
[page 4]
Mr John H Hartman to
his dear obediant and loveing
wife Partha L Hartman
O my dear remember me your
dear and loveing husband
and I also yours until death
rite Soon
My dear wife I will Send
you Some cherry Seed Some
of the best cherrys ever I
eat in my life thear as
big as big plums and the
trees air as big as them
big chesnutts trees at your
farthers