Home   Friday night.  
                                               February 6, 1863
My Dear son 
                       I will tonight try and
answer your letter.   we received your
letters dated Jan 13^th, 18^th, 22^nd.   we are
very sorry you are so afflicted, but
take as good care of yourself as possi-
ble.  if you dont get better you
must try and get a discharge   I
dont think you can do the govern-
ment any good the way you are af-
flicted, only an expense.  It will be
doubtful when your Father will
get down to see you for he cant
get down the river now (he had a
pass from the governor).   I hope how
ever you may get home   I will
have the dinner all right   I have
plenty of canned fruit yet.   If
you cannot get out try and be

as well satisfied as possible.  
Home is the same old place yet
some things have transpired
around here that ^you wouldn’t expect-
ed   Milt Jenkins and Hannah
Reed is married  thats little funny
aint it   Tom Coleman and Martha
Mullen are married after so much
chat about it
Old Cune is all right on the rab-
bit chase and litt le blacky Just
behind yelping.   Alvah close by with
his gun hollowing sick.
Your colts are all right they look
a little like the woolly horse but
will come all right in spring.  
Old Bob Ross and Mrs Ross have
moved to Danville and left John
and the girls at home to attend
to things dont you suppose they
have left a rich time of it  
John Moore has left them and

is now at Alvah Gossettes.  Bob
says he is not going to give him
anything not even his good clothes
he had.
        We have quite a snow on the
ground fell last Wednesday and
Thursday not very good sleighriding
for the road is too rough.   This
has been the muddiest winter
here we have had in a long time  
there will be apt to be considerable
sickness on that account.   Armsted
Merritte is not expected to live with
fever.  They have not heard from
Lugran and Rains since the
Murfreesburro fight   Mr.Worrell
thinks ^they are drowned   Mr.Crofton
thinks they are prisoners   neither
of them knows what has become
of them.  Pat was in the battle
five days but was not hurt, come
very near being wounded same
                                           time  

John McClain was.  Bill Patterson
is now at home on a furlough he
has been a long time in the Evansville
hospital waiting on the sick.
your Father requests me to say he
will send you a two dollar bill in
this letter as he cannot get to you
now & does not no when the way will be
open so he can & we do not want you to
be out of money but this is a verry
uncertain way to get you money & will
not risk mutch at a time if you
get this we will send you more by letters  
we will allso send 4 postage stamps.  
I received a letter from Mrs Sheperd
the other day she sent me the doctors
picture and is going send me hers
soon I will have to come to close
we will are going to Plainfield this
morning.  John Smith is still at Indianapolis
had the mumps this winter
Take good care of yourself  tell the doctor
whats the matter with you if you dont
get any better I think surely they will
not keep you there to be an expense. 
write often and let us know     Margaret
how you are getting                              Smith