febuary 13^th 1863

                                                                                                            Camp near fontroyal

 

Miss Mary

Dear farther an moth Sister an brothers I Seat mryself to rite you a few lines to inform you that i am well and doin well as cold be exspeted an havenot ben Sick Sense i have ben in virginia only a bad coal an not mutch of hi I am as fat as you ever Saw me I recon an I hav gained helth an strenth Sense i hav ben In virginia. Well anouf of that John got here las night just before night we ware very glad to See him an here from home an truly glad to here that you all ware geting alonge So well brother Jef got here thuthday an i was th proudest Coyboy yo ever Saw I recon about that tim I heard that he was dead all tho i cold not be leav that he was dead/

 

about the last day or too I began to get trouble about [?] an home I heard that Some of the Hodnett Had th Small pox and I cold not get letter from home I began to get nuneasy an beleav that it was Sow but Sense that time I have lerned better I hav no neuse to rite atal more than camps is adul plase all tho everthinge See to be cher ful i beleave as fair as I now this has ben as bright as I ever Saw moore than half of the time Sense chrismas has ben th brightes day I ever Saw I think    i hav had goode helth an have gane Strenght too as I have come alonge

Well anouf of that

 

We have Some ranty weth now

 

pleas rite sou tel all th nuse tel Doc to rite to me an tel me how he is getting alonge about the crop HHHodnett

 

                                                                                                                                    1863

                                                                                                Fortroyal Va       Feb the 13^th

Dear Farther Mother Brothers and Sisters I a gane take my Seet to comply with your request I hvent now nuse to you this eavning the Boys has all jest rote to you all and I rote day before yestiddy though I hop that these lines will reach you in du time and will find you all in good health which is so great a blessing you wanted to now all the perticlalers a bout Brothers John and my Self Brother John was takken the 11^th of Nov and I the 12^th we was Sent to Middletown the fourteenth of Nov we was put in to a large Church that they had using for a hospital we was cep thare to or three days the Drs then deSided that we had the Smalpock/we then was Sent out in a old Choolhouse we then Sade thade thare too days and then the People in the town commence making a uprow a bout our being thare with the Smallpock the Dr then had a wagon brout up and put us in it and it a raning and no Sheat over the wagon and we was Sent a mile from town and it raneing all the time we ware going we ware put in a old house and it very opan and it was verry cold and we both taken cold and we dident have but one blanket a pease and a straw mattres to ly on we but our mattres to geth So we coud cover with the too blankets though you may now that we Sufferd with cold we tride to get mor blankets but the Dr Sed that we coudent get them Brother John only live a five or Six days after we war move thare you wanted to now wether we had any attention or not…

 

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