Helena Arkansas Feb 19^th 1863

 

Dear Malvina

                                    I set down to adress you a few hasty liens hoping they may find you all in good health and doing well as for my selfe I am well I was not very well for several days after geting back from our last tramp it was Raining almost evry day while gone and being so mutch exposed I caught a colde but have about got well of it. we Received two months pay last eavning to day I am going to send one Hundred dollars to you we are going to Express to Fort Wayne in Care Daniel Gregg so it will be handed to you as soon as it arives as soon as it comes to hand pay your Borrowed money and our taxes as the time for paying taxes must be about up I send you a one hundred dollar bill in paying the taxes you can get it changed I am sorry I cannot send you more but the pay master says he will pay us again in a week or two but I have no confidence in what he says I ame going to keep one hundred dollars by me so if I get sick or any thing happens I can go Home I am carefull of my money I do not spend one cent unnecessarily but if we should not get paid soon and you want money I will send you nearly all I have got. I am going to talk to Colonel Slack to day about going Home and in my next letter I will tell you the Result and in Regard to that land being Rented wait untill you hear from me again let me know if Jak Feilds is in Town I would like to get him go and look what condition the place is in I will pay him for it / but I am going to make a big effort to get home but I feare I will not sucseed. we are looking for the mail evry minuit and I hope to get a letter from you do not let the children go up in Town if the small Pox gets Bad. I feel very anxious to hear if the diseas is spreading you ask me in your last letter if I ever got my Clothes you sent by Sloan I got them & also your Peaches and needle case or what ever you call it I feel very thankfull to you for it as for sending me Butter you need not do so for it is costly Buisness and I can do without Butter the mail has just come in camp but no letter for me, so I will close

yours truly for ever

                                    S J Keller

 

to Mrs M E Keller

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