May ^the 13^th /63

Fourt Pickering

Memphis Tennissee

 

Dear and Affectionate Wife

with the gratest of pleasure and with much feeling it is that I can enjoy the present oportunity to right you a fiew lines for your sadisfaction I received your kind and welcomed letter yesterday that you rote on the third and it gave me much joy and sadisfaction to hear from you and to hear that you was all well and I also received Samuels letter that was dated the same time well you wanted to no if I have plenty of good things to cook well I have potatoes and good smoked ham and eggs and dried / peaches and dried aples and good pickles but I believe they dont cook pickles and we have good lite bread but as for sweet cakes I dont have to bake aney of them they buy their bread and sweet cakes and we I have to cook a mes of fresh fish once and while well think when I come home I can show you how the soldiers cooks I have 6 men to cook for without myself that is Capt E S Metzger and Lieutenant Stoops and sargeant Hart Adjutant Dent and Jacob Crabs and Samuel Bolman well Dear Wife I would right Crid a letter and tell him to fetch Sarah home that he had not / done as he had promised and that you want him to fetch that sweet little girl home right him amidling sasey letter tell nancy jane that she must lern to read fast sowes that when pap comes home she can reed her little book to him the weather is very warm here at present but there is still a nice cool breeze of wind coming off of the river I have a very nice cool shanty to cook and eat in it is right in the shade of some nice aple trees and peach trees the peaches here are half grown they look very nice I have not herd from / Levi since Fred saw him and I have rote him to letters and I have not received aney answer yet

So nothing more at present but I remain

your Dear Beloved

Companion to my

Dear Beloved Wife

and sweet children

Hugh Bay

Cordeliann Bay

 

right soon

 

So Good Buy

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