N. V..A
May the 7 1863
Dear wife I Seat my Self
evning to let you know that
that I am yet in the land
of the living and I hope
and trust when those few lin
Comes to hand they will find
you all well I Can inform
that we have had har hard
times for the last nine day [1]
And lost many A frend I
Can inform that I got throu
Safe I can Inform that
there is A many A poor
feler A sufering at this time
Lieutenant gilbert is slitly
Woonded daniel pope is
woonded franklin pope [2] is
Woonded Sisio Cline [3] is
woonded birt Huffman is
kild birt Sigman is kild
[page 2]
I Can inform that there
is five of our Company Miss
Misin we dont know what
has becom of them it is thout
the yankeys got them I Can
inform that we had hard times
for the last nine days we
have bin in A line of
batel and not much to eat
I Can inform that I Saw
jefferson I saw Cain and
Many others I was glad to
See them I Saw lonso deal [4]
Since the fite he said that
said whoo all was kild and
woonded it was reported that
I was kild it seprised him
to see me he said that it
was reported in there regment
that I was kild I Count on
going to see the boys before long
[page 3]
Dear wife I Cant give
much Satisfaction at this
time I will rite in A few
days Again I would like to
Com home now but there is
no Chance I think about home
very often I hope that all
is well and do the best
you Can I hope that god
Will take Care of me and
take me throo Safe that
I Can Come home and see
you and the boys I hope
this trubelsome war will
soon Come to A Close the
yankeys is all gone [back?] A
Cross the raperhanick River
I think that we will rest
for A while the destruction
of Clothin and things I
never Saw the yankeys
[added in lower right corner]
[stop this and ???]
[page 4]
Dear wife you Stated in
your leter that you was
coming out to see me if
you could secure your things
to be safe and all rite Com
on and bring larance A long
[???????????] it will take [???] [5]
[???] too weeks then your
things may be destroyed
til you get back if
you come at all Com [???????]
[??] or at our old camp [?????]
[????] from [???????????]
I must Come to A Close by
asquin you to rite as Soon
as this comes to hand if
not before So I remain your
Absente Husband ontil death
Excuse Me for bad speling
and riteing Marcus Hefner
to Kiza Hefner