december the 19 1863
ashville Buncomb County
Dear wife i now Seat my self
to let you no that i am wel
hoping when theas lines com
to hand they wil find you
and all the family wel and
doing wel i received your
letter which was dated the
27 of November i was glad to
hear from you all once more
and much more to hear that
you was all wel and doing
wel i was then in tennessee
riteing a you a letter but too
late to anser it we are
now at Ashville but i dont
no hou long we wil stay here
the news is that we wil go
to cherrykee county an scout but
i dont no how soon the weather
is cold here i have traveld 8
weaks with the exception of
three days all ways a long with
the command our company is
all wel i egoy my self wel
a nouf only when i think
[page 2]
of you all and [???] [????]
how i no live and how i now
live we leaveed from
tennesse to ashville without
haveing enny thing to fead or
eat that coutry is all eat out
it ant worth while for me to
to tel all what i have seen but
i tel you i have sene the best
land i ever seene you say the
children all wants to see
me that i no but i dont no
when that time wil come but
i hope the time wil come
when i can get home i expect
to get a furlo some time this
winter you sed you have the
corn gathered and wheat sode
i am glad to hear that you
are doing wel i want you to
keep the children in shoes if
can i want you tel me what
has become of William
clodfelter and burns if he will
get wel or not and give me all
the news a bout the war
for we cant here enny thing
[page 3]
here i want you to send
me some stamps in your
letters for we cant get enny
here i want you to rite as soon
as you get this leter direct to
ashville in care of capt hines
tel wait that i got his letter
to find that he hadent forgoten
me he told me that had
resined his seat in the ledges
lature and cournal roberts
and Jesper wilson was
candidates and Josf got
beat two to one he nose now
how he stands he would beter
try the war a while i must
now bring theas few lines to
a close by saying i remain
yours companion untel death

a few words to you sophronie
you sed you wanted me to
pray for you to here that kind
of faith i hope that i pray
for you all every day i
want you to think of me
[page 4]
i want you to rite as good
as you can so that i can read
it i want you to get some
body to back your letters
a few words to haret [1] i want
you to be a good girl and
remember me and try to
larn all you can i want
you te send me some of you
riteing i want to no
whether wates ever says
enny thing about me or
not you say the baby talks
about me every day tel little
Jakeb to be a good boy i woul like
to send you some apples for
chrismas but we are two
far apart i want
you to be a good girl and take
good care of the [????] mare and
do all you can so i close for
the presant by giveing my best
respects to all my friends tel
oald father and mother wilson
howdy for me so remember
me Franklin Setzer Caroline Setzer