[this letter is badly stained and damaged]

PetersBurg V.A.
January 18th 1865
Dear Wife and Children I Seat
my self this morning to Rite you
afew lines to let you now
that I am well as to health but
my knees and hips hurts me
so bad that I dont now what
to doo I dident sleepe one hour
last night with them but I
hope that these lines may
Reach your kind hands and find
you all well and dooing well
[????????] you a letter the 15 but I
[????????] it would not git
[??????????????????????????????]
[????????] Rite another [????????]
[???????y] Henry Green [???????]
[????????] home and a furlow [?????]
[???????ght] you would git [????????]
I received your kind letter that
was dated the 3 I was pleased
to hear from you all and
hear that you was all well
[page 2]
I Rote to you for you to Rite
to me whether tha would bee
any chance for a man to Stay
at home are not now I feel
like that I could not stay
with them mutch longer I cant
be Satisfide I dremp last
night that you come down hear
to see me I thought that I was
the gladest fellow that ever
was in the world I thought
that I seen my littel sweete
baby I thought it was the [????????]
Child that we had I am afraid
that I never will git [??????????]
[?????????] still live to [?????????]
[?????????] the balanse of them [???????]
[?????????] I would Rather see you now
than to have A bushel of gold
[?????????] I want you to pray to God
to Spare my life to live to git
home and See you all again
[page 3]
Camp haint never come back
yet I dont now what happened
so this is 5 days over his time
and I am afraid that if you
started a box by him I am afraid
Sum of the things will Spoyl before
he gits hear with them but I
never get a box yet but what sum
of it was spoyled I hope this
[????????] it wont be so you can tell
Washington Mooney that I want
him to come back so if we
come home so we can have
[???????????] our company I [?????????]
[???????????] kiss my littel [???????????]
[???????????] have to close
[???????????] saying Rite soon [????????]
F. M. Poteet to Martha
Poteet