James Island near, Charleston S. C.
April 3rd, 1863.
My Dear Mother,
I received your kind letter
of March the tenth, and I was vary
gld to here from you. it had Bin Some
time Since I heard from you I Began
to want to here from you veary Bad
in deed, thies few lines leaves me well
at present and I hop that thies few
May reach and fined you injoying the
Best of helth, Dear Mother I was veary
sorry to here that you ware sick .
I am enjoying the Best of helth at
this time Dear Mother if you inten
d to keep house this year I want you
to try and get you Girl to Liv with
you , if you can. I want you to write
me in your next letter weather
you hav got any girl living with
you or not. I think if you cant
tend a crop that you had Better
Brake upt House keeping But you
can do like you think Best you
said that you would have to sell
some of pigs or buy corn one if
you sell any of your pigs I would
not sell them for a song . for Meat in
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Charleston is worth one dollar per
Pound and Hogs are Bound to sell hight
and if you sell them git a good price
for them, if you are agoing to Buy
any corn you had Better Buy it as
sone as you can, Mother I hav now
Newse to Write you thare is a little
[??] Excitement here now about the
yankees, Every thing is desolat
here the fine plantations and
fertal soil is all left to the
murcy of the soldiers, Whe had
Review the outher day, and General
Beauregard and his stafe was thare,
Whe hav one to Morrow Whe shal
hav Eight thousand Men on the field
I must come to a close, I will
Write again in afew days, you
Must write to me as sone as you
git this letter, Dear Mother I want
you to Write me a long Letter
the next time that you Write }
Nothing more at prest only
I Remain your affectionat
child untill Death }
Edgar Smithwick