May the 7th 1864
Dear loveing wife I have bin
Spard by the murcy of all
mity god to rite you afew lines
one time more Dear loveing wife
I can Say to you that I have
bin in the hardest fite that has
bin Sence the war begun I
am wounded in the thi but
not dangers I can walk tolerbel
well I am at orange cort house
now and I dont no how long
I will Stay ther Dear love I
can Say to you that I nevr Saw
Such atime in mi lif before
and I hope and pray to god that
I never will See such a time
agane our cumpenny is all
most all kild and wonded
and Some was takein prisen
ers and Some we cant hare of
them
[page 2]
Dear loveing wife I will
Say to you that jacob hartso is
kild he was Shot dead in the
line of battle he was Shot in
the brest william wike is
wounded he is Shot in
the Side Dear love I can Say to
you we left our ould camp
the 4 of this month and we marcht
all most nite and day we
got in the fite on thurs day the 5
of this month and I hant had
no rest Sence and I feel verry
bad this evening I got up to
Orrange court house yestorday I dont
no whether I will Stay her or
not we hafter Stay whar ever
tha put us I have had good far
Sence I cum her
[page 3]
Dear love I can Say to you that
mi leg is verry Stif and Sore
it is the Same leg that had bin
Sore So long Dear love I thort
I could git afurlo and cum home
but I dont no whether I can or not
I would like to See you all one
time more Dear love tha ar
Stil fighting yet tha Say that
this is agoing to bee the conkering
fight and I hope and pray to god
that it may bee So Dear love
our cumpenny is all kild and
wounded but ten or twelve
and we went in the fite with 65
men and our rigment went
in with five hundred men and
tha ar all kild and wounded
but one hundred Dear love I
never Saw So menny dead and
wounded men in mi life be
fore
[page 4]
Dear loveing wife god bless
you and all of our loveing
Chil dren I dont want you bee
troubeld about me I want you
to doo the best you can and I will
Doo the Same and god mi heavenley
father I hope and pray will have
mursey upon us and Spar our
lives to See each other agane one
time more I have bin Spar to git
throo this fite with out beeing kild
and I hope and pray to god that I
may never git in to enny more
fites So I must close mi letter
for this time direct your letters
like you all ways did may
god of his in finet murcey bless
you and me and all of us is
mi prayer for Chrits Sake amen
Daniel Setzer to Susan Setzer I remane
your loveing hus band til death
pars us