Peters Burg VA

N.C. Horspitel
August 30th 1864

Dear Wife and children I seat
my Self this Morning to Rite you
afew lines to let you now that
I am not very well at this
time but I doo hope and pray
that these few lines will
Reach your kind hands and
find you all injoying the best
of health you Rote that you Dident
to Rite any More till you
got a ancer I have Rote every
night but one and then I
hadant no paper to Rite you
Rote like you thought that
I was mad god nows that
I never thought of being
[page 2]
Mad I think if nothing
haping that I will get
A Furlow against the midel
of September I haint went
before the board yet but
the next time it sets I
think that I will go Before it
I Dont now whether I will
git it are not but I expect
to try it I Received your kind
letter and was glad to hear
from you all and hear that
you all was well but it
filled my heart with Joy
when I Read that Mary &
Thomas had profesed Religion
I was sick and could not
Injoy my self as I would
[page 3]
if I had of bin well I am
not dangrous if I dont take
A back set I expect to try
and take Care of my self
if I can I want you to still
pray for me and tell all
of my Friends to pray for
Me I try to pray for every
body and peace it seems
like that tha wont be any
More peace in this life but
I still hope and pray for
it I think maby that peace
will come sometime are nother
if we still pray for hit the
thing that Pery Walker
brung I haint never seen
them and I dont expect to
see them William Smart
[page 4]
Come over and told me
that he had them but
I could not eat them
I was taking medeson I told
him to sell them the best
that he could and bring
me the money he sed
that the apels was wasted
Roten that tha wasant no
acount he sed that he
would try to save the
dried fruit for me till I
got well I told him to sell
the potatoes for what he could
that tha would not [1]
bee fit to eat again I got
well he dident say any
thing about any unions
I dont now whether you sent
[remainder of letter missing]