Ft         Awamby County Miss           

Sep the 4^th 1862         

           

Dear Mother               I tak the preasant opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well and am doing very well at presant I have nothing of intrust to write to you when I wrote Cozart I did not have time to write any more than I wrote if our horses dos not start before you get this you may send my pistoles to me I [paper hole] to tell Thornton to send them to me & James garrett got hur last thursday he is going to start home to morrow morning you sayed you would write every opportunity and you wanted me to do the same I have nothing more to write than the Company is well and in good sperits we think that the ware will end shortly and we can go home agane / we hope this we can live in hopes if we dye in dispare Tom Elliott is off with the waggon Isham Martin sends his respects to you all and say to tell his folks that he is well he will not write this time I expect the nex tim I we I will be on the other sid of the river and then we can send letter by male nothin more But Remains your Affectionat Son

W A Bowen

 

To E D Bowen give my respects to all the friend and tell them to writ to me and dont forget to write to me and pray for me I would like to be their once more to see you all tell Reece that I want to see him bad I will send him some thing when we cross the river /

 

Camp Near Holey Springs Miss

October 14^th 1862

Mrs Bowen Mam                                                                                

i avale my self of the opertunity of writing you a few lins to let you know that i am well and in the land of the living hoping that thes few lins will reach and find you enjoing the same blessings of god i hafto tell you that Elick is dead he died in the discharge of his deuty fighting for his country he fell with his gun in his hand like a brave soldier he died amid the noble brave and fils a solders grave and I pray the Lord his sole to save I and Isham Martin stratened him out and i got his money out of his pockett and will send it to you in this leter the amount is fiftey one dolers in Confedreat money and twenty five cents in silver / i hope you will be like the good old servant John and say the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away a blessed be the nam of the Lord greave no more than you can help But be ye continley in prare for the balance of us We fought three days this last trip and lost a good meney men James Richey was kild about the time and place where Elick was and the next morning when we went in to the charg Gorge Smith and I was together and went together until we got to the brest works and that is the last time i saw him We Ware orderd to fall back then several others ware wounded i got too slite wouns my self one spent ball struck my right arm and brewsed it and another ball / struck skelpt my left hand i thank my god that i got out so well for the rifle balls war as thick as hale and the shot and shell jist as thick it comencd fryday the third day of october and Saturday at Corrinth then the feds came in behind us so we started to retreat and Sunday we fought them at pokehuntas and made our way out our Regment has the prase of the hole arangment gen phifer said that we ware the best fighters he ever saw We are station here how long we dont know I would give every thing in this wourld if i could come home on a furlow but i cant i want to see you all veary bad give my love to all the famley / and I want you to comfert Sarah all you can from what i can lern there has bin some good fellow giving me thunder while i am fightin for our country it is all right i sepose tha can say what tha please while i am out here there is one thing tha cant do tha cant take my hope in god away from me

i want you to write to me as soon as you get this Excuse my bad riting for my pen is bad and paper two so i most close

so [?] for a while

yours truley until

B[?] Stephens

to Mrs E. D. Bowen

 

tom Eliott has taken Elick close and said he would pay you for them

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