Nere Peatterburg Va

August 10/64

Dear Wife i take this opertunity to inform you that i am well at and harty at present and hope the fiew linds will find you the same it is all quiet here now and i hope it will continur so six rebs cum in to our linds sence yesterday morning from in front of our regment to take the oath of allegement i hope thay will continure to cum in until thay all come over here it is estermated over one hundred a day come in our lind here around Peatersburg William Show is here in our brigade and John reed i have not here nothin about accum or Jay Bowen sence i left anapolis i sent a pair of pants to you the other day if you git them let me know how much the postage is/on the pants and let me know in your next letter and if you think it will pay i will send to you some shurts in the same way the shurts will not cost nothin here i have not bin payed yet i donot think that i will be payed before the midle of September and then draw four months pay which will be due to me i may draw two month before long but i think it doutful every thing is so high i donot se how you are a going to live but i cannot do no better if i could i would you must do as well as you can and trust in the lord thare will be some way provided for you and the children to live so you want have more truble than you can bair you rote in your last letter that you thought a selling the steers if you do you had better do so before long/so you wilnot have to bye hay I think hay will be verry high next winter if you could sell the old cow for a good big price let hur go with the steers and then you will have plenty of fodder to winter one cow and not have so much to tend to and make it easer for you and if i live to cum home i will fetch home a horse with me if you sell the cattle be shur to know that you can git a new contrack in your name of the land runing as long as you can git mr Norax to let it run and i think thair will be some way provided that you can git the means to pay fore it with in a year or two you mus manage the Bisness the your self and it will sute me i hope if thay nock old abe out out of the Presadental Chair this/fall and alect some pease man we will have this war settle on some honaberale termes before next spring that is the belief of the armey here rite to me as quick as you can and let me know how the wourl go with you if you git up then that Statement i spoke of in my las letter next months will be sone a nof w it have bin verry dry here no rain of eney acount for the lass two months i wel close this letter by giving you all my best and first love and respecks

                        J L Calkins

PS you spoke about those likeness i keep it in my testament and it keep it quite safe from harm