Wake County

December the 1 1861

                                                                                   

Miss Sarah J. M^cDonald

I take my pen in hand for the first time to drop you a few lines to let you no that I was in tolerable good health at this time and hope these few lines will find you and all the famely engoying the the same blessing I have the measles my self but am not very sick they came out on me to day cousen W B Monroe has ben sick with the measles about a weak he is geting beter he has had a very soar throat and was very horse there is a bout half of the men here that has the measles Hugh M M^cDonald is just geting over the measles your Brother Daniel is geting a long very well he has not ben sick a single day sens he left home and Daniel Curie looks beter than he did in two or three year 

 

the Boys wer very much pleasd when E M N Blue came back they all expected to get something from home and so they did and it done them as much good as it wood to go to a weding about home home is the best place yet it wood doe me a great deal of good to sea you all once moore It seams like twelve months is a long time to be from home but if we live tell the time is out I expect to sea you all once more I want you to write to me and let me no how you are geting a long about the Ready Branch you neadent bea on easy a bout the boys if the yankes dont take them for they all speak of going back when their time is out we get a planty to eat and to doe we have not finished our huts yet when we get them up we will have to drill six ours a day and sweap the yard we all wash saterday we / have kep our cloaths tolerable clean yet I have washed once a weak some of them hire their washing but the most of us do our one I have nothing interesting to write to you I heard from Hugh M Ray to day he said the company was all well except one case of the feavor So I must close by sending my best respects to you and all enquiring friends

                                                                                   

I remain your most afectionate

Friend tell Death

Malcom Ray

 

excuse bad writing and mistakes

 

write as soon as you get this and tell me all the nuse from about home and I will try and doe beter nextime I thot I would have writen before now but never had the chance

            So I close

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