July the 5 1863
Dear husband I take up
my pen to rite yo a few lines
to let yo no that we are all
well at this tim excepton
the hooping cough an I hope
when these few lines come
to hand they may find yo
in the same state of health
I have nothing of importants
to rite onley I would be
glad to see yo but if I
donte see yo in this world
let us try to meete in
heaven whare parting is no
more I was at A M smith
he sais that yo must tell
general lee that yo are hater [1]
by trade and he thaut that
yo would be detailed an he
sais that he would rite yo
a leter himself to let yo no
how yo may get off
[page 2]
I am laying by my crop
they old field looks tolerbul
well consider the ground the
sweet potatoes looks well as
tha did last yeare the wheat
was as good as ever yo saw
I made 20 shocks the oats is
wast high to any moday an
every thing els in porpotion I
want to now whether yo are
any beter satis fide or not
I want yo to try an content
youre self if yo cant get
home an dont greeve about
home more then yo can help
it makes me sorrow to think
that yo cant get to come
home an to see evry leter that
yo rite is got it in I am
ageting along tolerbel well
at this time I have got
some corne yet and I can get
[page 3]
meete for weeving I receivd a
leter from brother Joshua
he said that he had stood in
line of batle 7 days when
he rote the leter an the are
a marching now sow much
that the cant keep up
the are falling back ever
day more or less an he fanted
foure times the thirty 34 an
the fifty 52 regement are gone
to windchester an the 34
regement is whare sidney is
in an David hicks dide the
6 an levy hicks the 7 an levy
ingle the 10 of June the all
dide at richmond catharin
an pap went to see leevy
but he was dead an bearyd
the never got to see him
an clem has got a[??] sone
[page 4]
Mother was heare to
day she sends howday
to yo an she sais that she
would like to see yo an
she will send her best
respcts to yo an I am agoin
to send yo heare plat in
this leter an if yo dont want
both of them yo can giv any
boday one of them yo please
I send howday to yo
margaret sends howday to yo
ann sends howday an sarah
sends yo howday an mary
and martha an roxan an
susan all sends howday to
yo nothing more at present
but remainds yo Deare
wife and children un till
death A E Murph to
D W Murph