Camp . near . gordinsville . V . A . this the
1863
5 . of . oct
My dear wife I now Seat my Self to
answer your cind letter whitch I received
yesterday evening I was glad to hear from you
but Sorry to hear that yous has So mutch
Sickness in the famly you Stated that
negro Jesse was dead I am Sorry that your
farther is loosing all of his help but the
lord is able to give and able to take my
dear I am not So well at present I had
the chills and feavers day before yesterday
but I hope I will not get them eny
more my dear you also Stated that my
mother and Samiel was verry bad off
O . I hope yous will all Soon get well So
that I will not hear of no more deaths while
I am in this ware my dear wife you also
Stated in your letter that you wonted to no
how many was baptised and whether thair
was eny that you new my dear thear was
aleven but I dont Suppose you new eny
of them as they air not all from
rowancounty
[page 2]
but I will give you alist of their names
I John . H . Hartman. was the first one. James . I . Eller
Jesse . Alferd . James . O . bass . John . Braddy
Joseph . Braddy . Mark . Parker . Henry . C. Pool
Crusoe. Rough . Josiah . Lee . W. D. grise
My dear wife I cannot rite mutch more for
I am now geting ahard chill or I will lay
my paper by til the chill leavs me
good morning my dear how do you doe this
morning I am tolerble well this morning as
to day is not my day for the chills my
dear I had averry hard chill yesterday my dear
this is the 6 day of october I commentsed my letter
yesterday and cold not finish it but I will now
finish it and Start it to you my dear I hope the
war will Soon end as the yankey army has fallen
back to washington and the report is that the
yankeys Ses that they will not fight eny
more in virginia as they have bin whipt
evry battle that has bin faught in .V.A
My dear wife I can now inform you that we
have apreacher that goes with us and we
have preaching evry day I exspect he will
go with us all the time
[page 3]
My dear wife I rote you afew lines to let
you no what I wonted you to Send I rote
it about aweak ago but if you air not
able to do it you need not do it as I Shant
urge you to but my dear if you nead that
money that I Sent you you can Spend it
for I dont wont you to Suffer my dear
the captin Ses that he wonts to Send all of
his men home on furlows this winter if
he can So I am in hopes of getting home
this winter but it will be agood while
yet before I will get to come as he is
going to Send all of the old compny
home first thair is about Sixty of the old
members I may get to come with Some
of the old ones being I have afamly
I hope I will because youse air all Sick
lewtenent Ramsy will do all he can for
me towards afurlow as he is one of my
best friends So he will do all he can
and I will do all I can and So I think
I will get home Sooner I hope I will
get to come home this winter eny how
but I cant tell when
[page 4]
My dear Partha I must now close as
I have nothing more to rite my dear
you ast me to rite oftner my my dear
I hafto rite when ever I get the
chance I cant rite when ever I please
I cant rite when we air marching So I
beg to be excused my dear I will now
close by asking you to rite Soon rite Soon
John . H . Hartman . to . his . dear . loveing . wife
Partha . L . Hartman When theas few lines
Remember me my love you See O dear remember
Remember me for fitter me though many miles
Remember me my dear apart we may be but
for I am coming home O dear remember me
this winter O far you well for this time
O far you well for awhile
O far you well til I meet you
John . H . Hartman [written in center of page]
Partha . L . Hartman