January the 3^rd 1863

           

Kind and affectionate Husband

                                    It is with the greatest pleasure in life that i seat myself this wet evening to write you a few words the reason why it is so much pleasure is becaus it will do you so much good to hear from your wife and children it is not becaus thair is any pleasure at home it is far from that now to hear from so many of our near and dear friends being murdered up it is awful to think of. Well brown we are all well i have got able to come down to fathers they sent after me yesterday to stay here while mother is up at Murfreesborough with monroe i will stay a day or two Jim Downing got here this morning after breakfast we have ben in a big stir all day fixing up him and the girls to get off we are sending you a little of every thing we can think of i expect you need evry thing by what Jim says Well Brown you cant imagine how glad i was to hear that you was detailed to wait on my dear brother who is so badly wounded and to think that you are not on the field with the Company i would rather you was in the hospital all the time i know the hospital ant a pleasant place but it is better than it is fighting Brown you made such a narrow escape Jim downing told me you had two bullet holes in your pants he told me you had lost all your cloths two i will send your old brown jeans coat by Jim Brown you dont have any idea how uneasy i have ben all this week untill Jim come and told me you was not hurt [?] still thought you would not be killed but i feared it i think i will come up thair / before long if i have the chance Mary says if rob was wheare you are she would be perfectly satisfied Ada and Lucy Brown starts to Chattanooga in the morning to see John and Willie i wrote to you by father and wily miler i dont expect you got them brown i will send you a pencil and a piece of paper to write back if you have the chance if not i will not think hard i know you will wait on monroe as well as any body could Jim told me when he went in you was lying between monroe and Dewitt resting i know you need rest and food to eat brown if your life can be spared and you get home i think i will be the happiest being on earth an you too i do hope you will get to stay with monroe all the time i will feel so much better if you can brown i will quit writing i do hope you will get your cloths if you dont i will try to get you some more the children are all here with me if you hear any thing about rob send mary word she is so uneasy about him i told the children that you had a hole shot in your pants they looked like they was surprised to think the yankies would hurt you well i will quit for this time i will write every chance i have

 

Cul Parkinson

to her husband

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