August the 8th 1863

Camp near Fredericks burg va
Dear wife I Sit mi Self down
this morning to answer your kind
letter that I received yestorday and
was verry to hare from you all
that you was well I hant well
yet I am mity weeke but I cant
nothing hardley but I think I
will git well before long I
hant Sick now oneley I am
So weeke and cant git ennything
to eate that I can eate but I hope
and pray to god the time will
Soon cum when this war will
end and we all can go home
and Stay at home I like we
all ways did Dear wife I
want to See you all mitey
bad it is goin on five monts
Sence I Seede you and it Seems
like amity long time to
Sta from home for nothing
but So it is I cant helpit
[page 2]
mi dea loveing wife
you Sed in your letter that
you had no anser about the
tax you Sed in your letter
that you pade 39 90 cents I reckon
it is rite you have givein
your tax once sincnce I left and
you Say tha want you to give
in now agane I dont no how
you wil git money anuf to
pay So much tax but So it
is this is a hard world at this
time the bigger arascal am
can bee the better the luck
dear wife I will Say to you
that I dont think ther will
beeen fite hur Short by if
ever we hant dooing en thing
her we all would better
bee at home whar we
could doo Som thing for our
fam leys and try and Sup
port them
[page 3]
Dear loveing wife I will
Say to you that I want you
rite to me and tel me whoo
all has to go to the war I hard
frank deel had to go and I
hard that non wouldent
go tha would di at home
before tha would go and
that is the way that I would
doo if I was back agane I
never would leave mi
home no more to go to such
a war like this whar thar is
no justus in nothing her we
cant hardley live this way
much longer no how so I
mus Close for this time by
Saying to you to nt troubel
your Self about me for I
think I will get well before
long Daniel Setzer to
his darling wife Susan
Setzer god bles you forever
is mi prayer for Christ Sak
[page 4]
August the 8 1863 Car Setzer
Dear Son I Set mi Self
down this mor ning to let
you no that I hant well
yet but I think I will
git well before long you
Sed in you letter that you
had bin thrashing and had
all the wheat in the big
feald thrasht and made
66 bushels the wheat
must bin mity bad
that hant half as much
as it made too yares ago
I want you to rite to me
whar all you thrasht and
how much So I mus Clos
for this time by Saying
to you I want to See you
all mity bad and hope
and prary to god that I will
git to See you all before
long and Stay ther D Setzer
to Car Setzer