March the 2^nd 1863

           

My dear cousin I received your kind and welcome letter sometime ago but have not been able to answer it before my husband has been at home since the fourth of february on sick furlough but will leave again next monday for camp he had the measels and came home before he was well of them and I took them about a week after he got home I was quite sick with them It is the second time I have had the measels and I hope I never shall have them again my eyes are in a bad fix at this time from the effects of them but are improving gradually the rest of my little family are well the children look very healthy dear cousin I have one of the prettiest little girls nearly three years old her name is Sallie but I call her sunshine her Pa calls her little Bettie she says god made her out of the dust to be a good child she is always talking about the good mans taking her sister home where she is so happy I wish you could see her I am afraid I love / her too well she is so pure and gentle Willie is a great big boy and waits on his mother like a good boy and if I live and nothing happens I shall have another little fellow towards summer. I saw a young man from the eighth regiment & yesterday J E Myers he told me he thought John Wesley was at home If he is dear cousin I congratulate you for I know his company affords you so much pleasure I do hope this sinful war will soon terminate when we can once more enjoy the bliss that peace sweet peace would bring we did not know what precious benefits we enjoyed until these troublesome times came upon us but I know and feel that my good father is able and willing take us safely through to a safe harbor

 

dear cousin I feel very lonely when my dear good husband is in camp he writes to me once or twice a week and is allways sending me little necessarys from town If he could allways stay at M^cClellansville during the war I could get to see him every now and / then but I expect the battalion will be moved sometime before long the capt of the company to which Robt belongs is a Methodist minister C D Powel is his name his men or the most of them almost idolize him. they had a revival in that camp sometime ago a good many professed religion and joined the church. I have not heard from my father in a good while though I write to him regular he acts very unfeelingly towards me If his conscience is at rest for his treatment to me I am satisfied poor old man he has been in trouble for the last twenty five years of his life It will soon be five years since I have seen him do you know what has become of Fletcher I have heard from him since I heard he was crippled I wrote to Ellen twice while she was in marlborough but she never answered my last letter and my dear cousin I have never received but one from you I got the last one you wrote and was thinking a little hard of you before I did get your / letter thought you too had forgotten me I wrote to Bettie Henagan twice last year but she never answered my letters I also wrote to Mary Ann but none of my letters were answered. What has become of cousin William and Eliza Bridges and cousin Huggins I would be so glad to see him If I knew his Post office I would write to him sometimes I suppose he is still overseeing. If I live I intend to visit my dear cousin Mary sometime this year I can hear from her sometimes

 

I must come to a close or you will tire with my uninteresting letter but my dear cousin I feel so unwell you will make allowances for it all please answer my letter and let me hear from you all give my love to your dear children and all my relatives and friends and if the opportunity ever offers I will go and see you but if we never meet in this world I hope to meet you in heaven with our dear angel children where parting is no more. Your affectionate cousin

                       

Bettie DeBerry

 

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DeBerry has gone to the village today

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