November 9^th 1862
        White Lick   Plesant View

     Dear Son  I take my pen in
hand to Inform you of our
present health    we are all tollerable
well   only I am nearly worked down
& your mother rather poorly   I have the
Rheumatism in my left Brest & arm & leg 
I am real nervous at presant   so mutch
so I can not Rite well   we recd a letter
from you yesterday (Saturday) you inform
us that you had not Recd any letter
from us since you landed in Louisville 
Jane rote to you last Tuesday was a week
& we thought we would not send any more
untill we got another from you but
Jane rote one yesterday and when She
went to put it in the office She got one
from you   We then thought we would all
all right and perhapse you would get some
of them   I was sorry to hear you did not
get anuff to eat thoughe   I did not
look for mutch better from the sorse it comes
                                                        from  

I again was sorry to hear that you
was unwell but I new you could not
stand no such life   I want you to
take as good care of your selfe as you
possibly can for you may reli on it
that your life is at stake if you
take cold on top of cold & the Rheumatism
& Diarea working on you   I want
you if you get mutch ailing to go to
the hospital & that will take you off
of gard duty & if you still are ailing
I will go down & try to prevail with
the hospital doctor to give you a
discharge as long as you Remain in
the camp there is no chance of getting
off curs the Abolition War   all the
world is crying out against it   France
England & Rutia are on the eve of
Recognizing the independance of the South
& then comes a tremendious draft or old
Abe cave in  he will have to cave in
in the end for all the world is down
on his Proclamation

we have had 2 snows with that ixeption
we have had a fine fall   Bill Johnson has
got home and cannot walk  Eli Huron has
his arm shot off  Hunt John Hadly
and Columb Franklin has got home  John
Hadley was shot in the rump  we are getting
along with our work well to have no help
but I am nearly worked out  I am
truly sorry you did not take my advise
the morning you volunteered  it was a
sorrowfull day for you & one that gives
us a great dale of uneasyness & will
still continue to do so untill your
time is out or you discharged  Rite
frequently if it is only a few lines 
we will be mutch grattified to
hear from you  Jane will do the
most of the Riting to you  I will
Rite ocasionly   Jane rote yesterday 
Alvah and me to day  you shurly
will get some of them.
      Yours Respectfully
    
     (signed)  J.W. Smith to B.W. Smith