Mc dowell Co

Nov the2 1864
Dear husband
I seat My Self this evning to try
to write you a few lines to let
you know what has happend at
home poor little Francis Emmer is
dead she died the 29 of oct last saturday
a little while before sundown I wrote
to you about the sore in her Mouth
her chin rotted and come loos fom
its Jaw bone and 5 of her teeth come
out and her toung turned black
it was the pittifullest looking
little Mortal you ever saw I cant
tell you how bad it was it died with
its eyes fixed on me it died without a
strugle it was buried sunday it is
hard to give it up it was the best
child I ever saw it never cryed
one half a hour with it mouth it
seemed like it cared for nothing
but Me the first that knowed that
its Mouth was sore was the 11 and
then it dident look bad evry body
that saw it sed that they never saw
nothing like it she puled 4 of her
teeth her self it smelt very bad
the Lord gave and the Lord has
taken away it is like
taring the heart out of the body
to give up a sweet little child
but it is gone and we never
will see it no moor tell the last
day it seamed like if you had bin
here I could hav give it up better
Robert Mooney will tell you about it
he saw it three or 4 days before
it died I hav ben sick about 5
weeks the rest of the children is
most well the Mare died the
27 of oct I dont know what aild
her Landis sed it was old age
the neighbors was very good to
me in the time of the sickness here
and I thank god for it I hav wrote
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evry week but last week and I
couldent write I hav recieved 3
of your kind letters sens I wrote
they was dated the 9 16 & 23 you wrote
for me to go and see Jacob Moor but
I could not leave home Mr Landis
rented it for me I get all the land
if I can tind it and he has the
Mill I think I can get a hoars to
plow from Hase all the Melisha
and the exempt men is gone
I am fixing to send you somthing to
eat and a pare of socks by Robert Mooney
Dear Francis My troubles is all most
moor than I can bear I am the poorest
you hav seen me in five year
sis says to tell paw that she wants
to see him George Pinkny says
to tell paw he wishes he would
come home all the children sends
you howdy all says that they
wish they could see you I would
rather see you than any thing els
I am so lonsom sens our sweet
little baby daid evry body sed
that it had the most sens that
they saw a little child hav when
it got so that it couldent talk
it would point its little finger
for what it wanted and the day
before it died it would look at
me and then point with its
little finger towards the loft
I think it saw the Angels that
come to take it to heaven
it tried to show it to me but I
couldent see nothing it was the
blessedest child I ever saw it is a
heavy stroke on me and it will be to
you it was exactly ten Monthes from
the time you parted with it that it died
I hope you will get to come home before
long they say that we are badly whiped
I must close M A E Poteet to her husband
F M Poteet God bless and save you farewell