N C Mcdowell Co 1864
thursday Feb the 4

My Dear husband I recieved your kind
and loving letter last saturday and
was glad to hear fom you and hear you
was well but sory to hear sunday that
you was not well we are not well they
nearly all hav had sore throats I
aint well my self but I do hope and pray that
when these few lines reaches your kind
hands it will find you well I shal be
uneasy till I hear fom you if I could
I would come and see you I sent you
somthing to eat by Marion Higins
five pies and five ginger Cakes one doz
unions two custerds 1 ham of Meat and
three twists of tobaco I toted it to the
X roads in my lap if you get it I wont
mind nothing that I don I am willing to
do any for you that I can
You wrote for me to stay hear Bill Cowen
says if I stay in the house I shant work the
ground that I shant as much as hav
the garden I hav walked my self down this
week trying to get a place and hav got
non me and my children are bound to
perish all the honest men is gone and
a set of speckalating dogs is left to press the
lives out of the poor Women and children
while the soldiers is standing as a wall
between them and the enemy they are standing
between them and there wives to snatch
evry thing they can get I think there
ought to be astop put to it if it aint we
all will be bound to perrish I am in a
great deal of trouble Doctor Young charged
me three dollars in gold or silver or thirty
dollars in confederate for coming to see
[page 2]
Alvis one time and george Taylor to hav
thirty dollars for his kindness leting
you rid to the head of the road he ought to
be double quicked to the armey if I was
a man I would kill him Bill Cowen had
go to Richmond he sed he would give 12
hundred penny weights of gold to get off
Young Burt Higgins died last sunday
there has bin several deaths in the last
two or three weeks your Aunt Barbry died
last sunday week your Mother is in Burk [1]
yet I want you when you write to write
to me and not to them that dont thank you for it
I thought you had better sens that
any body that dont car for me nor you
I want it to be the last I hav had but
two little scraps of letters yet and I hav
wrote five I will send you apeace of paper
I told you when you left I was left to the
Mercy of the people there is about as much
mercy shown me as a dog would show apeace
of meat but I hope it wont always be so
I do hope that peace will be made and you can
come home O that God will spar your Life to
get home and bless you with health and
shield you fom all harm is the prayer of your
disstressed Wife I want you to do the best
you can I hope they wont punish you all ways
I dont think they ought you did not stay at
but 8 days and then went back but if
God is with you you need not fear what
Man can do I dont expect to see you any
moor in this world but I want to meet you
in heaven I must close farwell Francis
My dear May we meet again in peace
M. A. E. Poteet to her Loving husband
F. M. Poteet God bless you
[added in top margin]
tell grise I seen Nancy last sunday she is well