June 3. 1863.

 

My Much Loved Sisters

                                    God knows whether I have such kin on Earth I do not hopeing to get news through & back I now write but Oh! my Sisters with a very sad heart for my much loved son & darling Child Willy is no more. On the 30 of May 1862 he left us on his way to Ark poor boy walked a long way to find his grave the morning he left us his hopes were high he said he hope soon to be with us again but no his maker ordered it otherwise. he died at Ark Post Nov 17 1862 after sickness of 11 days of Pneumonia his last letter to me was Nov 1 poor child he said mother prospects brightens & I do hope soon to be with you all on Old [?] at a cheerful fire relateing all that has occur^d I have one comfort sisters, when he left me I asked him son if you should be taken how do you feel about the future his reply was Mother I am willing his Capt sent me his day book which is quite a comfort to his Mother all through I find the sabbath was remembered. he is gon & I have none to fill his place, none of my children loved me as my Willy Oh! Sisters, sometimes I feel all alone in this wide world. God knows best & no doubt it is ordered for the best but though I feel it my heart will bleed. Oh! tis a Cruel, Cruel War, he died lacking a few days of 2 months before the Post was taken & those poor boys has suffered evry thing, but those that are left are again fighting for their homes & loved ones left. M^rs W. Gibson told me Frank Ervin was killed at the Battle of Seven Pines is it so Oh! how I fear to hear from you all I received a letter from H. E. Spann a few days since she said she had heard from Miss but gave no news. The Dr is still with her hired a substitute has a little boy 10 months old. Felix is now 18 but Sisters I cannot give him up he has been sworn in & detailed to attend to my plantation, overseeing is the last imployment for a genteel man but better that as Camp—Oh! that I had prevailed on Willy to take charge of the / but he was anxious to go. Felix never has wished to go says if they come in the country he will fight them to the last but does not wish to go after them. Felix is larger than his brother was when he left us. James almost as tall but slender. Mart has grown but little Eddy almost as tall. I have been fortuneate in keeping a tutor for them untill the first of May I could put them at a very good school but the Country is in such a condition that I think it best to keep them at home & learn them what I can. Manies health is not very good I sometimes look at my children & think I will be the last left of my family you recolect Aurelius C Jones he was inter for 6 months got home to my house 17 of Jan 1862 he was only with us 3 months & [?] day sicken & died May 1 1862 then I felt if it had been one of my own I could not have missed him more or felt more grief but Oh! Sisters when I was tested I knew who was nearer my heart. Aurelius died with flux. so many of our young men has been taken of by disease & many in battle Yet Sisters we in Texas know nothing of the suffering of the hour for we have not felt it the Blockaid is all we have to contend with as yet & the little Battle of Galveston running the Blockaid is an evry day occurance & we have to pay very high for evry thing but by paying can get coffee White sugar rice & in fact evry thing the Confederate money sells 5 for one of Gold so you may know what prices we pay—but I have never paid more than $1.50 per lb for Coffee & 30 for the very best of sugar but we get $4.00 for corn I have never been without any of my useual supplies except Tea & I feel it is folly to give the price $25.00 per lb we can do very well without I have been able to dress Manie the same I have found some trouble about clothing my boys & Negroes—nearly evry third man you meet in Texas has on buckskin I will except speculators they go as fine as cloth can make them. We can sell cotton corn peas potatoes faster than we can make them last year I did not make half crop the summer was so dry 52 Bales was all I made  sold it at my [?]house for / 16^c had I kept it two months longer I could have gotten 30^c & $20 per Bale to hawl it to Matagorda. I have hawled some for $20.00 per Bales some years ago I remember we only got $20 for the Bale—My Negroes have all been very obediant & better if anything then heretofore. in march I got a very licky negro woman drown I believe the Overseer did it but can get no proof. last summer we had yellow fever in Mat the place did not seem like the same none of my family had it when at home in Mat We are a mile from town but we came out on the plantation whear we have been pretty much since Manie & the little boys has been their one month I still stay with Felix but will leave the poor fellow next week. Oh! how I wish you were all out hear with us when I read the papers & find the Yankees have been in Oakalona I fear to hear from those so dear. how often I think of Brothers & their boys. I fear to name any the care & anxiety is wearing me away I do not think I would weigh more than 100 lb if this reaches you do write immediately let me know the worst—how fortuneately I was to get my little boys from Tenn—Cordelia Jones is still their or in Ala. Tell me evry thing for I know so many that you canot write amiss but perticularly about Brothers & the Boys John Jorden the last I heard he was in the hands of the Yankees do let me hear from him also Frank & All All three write what one forgets the other may write. let me hear from each family. Father Gibson died in July 62 Mrs. W. Gibson they think dying with Consumption M^r J Gibson has been very ill with Flux.

 

                        We all join in much love to All & say do write

                        soon

 

                                                            Your Sister untill death

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