State of VA Camp Near
1865
Belfield January the 19
Dear wife and children i now
seat my self ot inform you
that I am wel hopeing when
theas lines come to you they
wil find you all wel and
doing wel i can say to you
that i received your kind
letter of the 4 of this month
i was glad to hare from you
all and to hare that you was
all wel and to hare that you
got the money i sent in the
letter i dident received a
letter from you before in
tw weaks i am beginning
to think you dont care much
about riteing but maby
it ant your falt our
male here is got mity un
reglar i have no news
to rite at this time only
[page 2]
we have hard livng here
we have but little to
eat at this time an it
dont lok like it wil get
much better we had the
hardest rane here i ever
sean it washt everything
a way as it went i wil
now tel you somethig a
bout the army here we
are lo down in seperits
here i got a letter from israel
the other day he was wel
but lo down in sperits and
geting but little to eat
i dont think we can stand
this thing long i think
it wil brake up in the
spring but the lord only
nose our men is dserting
and going to the yanky study [1]
but a nuf of that i suppose
you got the letter i rote you
for a box i want you
[page 3]
i want to get home mity
bad to sea you all and to
stay there for i no that
you have a hard way to
get a long but try and do
the best you can i dont no
that i have much more to
rite at this time only i
want to hare from sophrina
and haret i dont never hare
enny thing from them do they
live with you or not tel them
to rite and tel them me
whare they live so i wil close
by giving my respects to you
all and all inquireng
frends tel my baby i have
a bus for her yes my native land
i love the how can i say
far wel rite soon and give
me all the news Franklin Setzer
to Carline Setzer
[page 4]
write often and tel me
all about the things
how the old mare and
colt is doing and your hogs
and cattle is a doing you sed
I am doin the best i can
for my self and if i never
meat with you in this world
i hope to meat you at gods
rite hand but i stil hope
that i wil get home agane
i am glad to hare that you
have a good school and more
then glad to hare that wates
is larning so fast i want
him to read when i get
home i have a nice testame
testament i found on the
battle field near belfield
and i wil give it to him
fore littl him a lone
he wil get in the notion to
go some time