Kinston N.C. Nov 12th 1863
My Dear Wife and Children I seat my self
this morning to drop you afew lines to let
you now that I am well at this time
hoping these lines may Reach your kind
hands and find you injoying the same
Blessing I Want you to send me sum tobaco
I Rote to Higgins and Sent him word
to doo All that he could and I would pay
him Paid to send me sum tobacco and send
me sum unions sum pork if you had it and
Bake Me sum cakes you now what to
send as Well as I can tell you you dont
now how bad that I want to see you
and My littel Babes I had to stand
gard last night and I hav got the Trimbles
so bad that I cant Hardly Rite I sent you
A ring by Pery Walker that I Made I Want
you to take care of hit till I come home I
Want to see it Again My Dear Wife I want
you to hug and kiss to my littel Children
for me and tell them that I told you to
Doo so for me and I will Doo any thing
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for you that you send word for me to do
if it bee your will for me to Doo it I
want you to Rest easy ABout that that I
Rote to you In the third letter for I never
expect to doo so any More as long as I live
I have shed many ateare sence that time I Rote to
you that if you would forgive me I think
that the Lord will for give me I sent 15 Dollars
By Pery Walker I have forgot whether I Rote
to you whether H.H. Taylor was gon are not
I want you to Read them juste
A few lines to littel Children Mary
Bee good to your Mother and Doo all for me that
She tell you to Doo for I dont think
that she will tell you more than you can
Doo Thomas and Elvizs Bee goo boys and
help your Mother I think more of her than
every body Els in this World May God
bless and save you all is my prayer for
Christ sake I want you to Rite soon when you
git this letter

Francis. M. Poteet to his loving Wife M. A. E. Poteet