January 25 1863

 

Dear cousins

we received your kind letter a few weks a go and was very glad to hear from you all we would a wrote sooner but we thought we would wate til we herd from the boys you said you wanted us to write whether we had herd from the boys or not we have herd from them several times since the battle Aniel wrote home that Will and Ike was not in the battle and thare wasent any of the boys that went from about here wounded or kiled I was so glad they all come of so well I hope and trust thay will all be spard to / come back to thare homes so you can get to come back out here I would like to se you all the best in the world and kiss lissa and have lots of fun well Sarah dont you kow what fun we had one night up stairs just come over some night and we will have some more Marth has to scrub the nife yet well girls I wish you was all three here to go with us to meeting next sunday they are a going to have meeting several days meeting lasted three days last month Will preaches at Cox schoolhouse a sunday at three oclock and monday night and thare was seven joined Dock Cox and his two sistrs joined and all the rest was strangers Sarah I want you to write and tell me how to cullor purple with cudbear[?] you told me / but I have forgoten how well I will have to come to a close by Saying I want you all to write soon I want you to write to us all about the boys if you have herd from them and I hope you have before this time I hope to remain your well wisher untell death

 

So good by for this time         write soon

            to Sarah and Julia and Emily and

all the rest                                           E. R. Booker

 

Well girls I will try to write you a few lines this gloomy Sabbath evening it looks now like we was a going to have some more rain we hav had so much now and it is so muddy Al cant get to Griests more than once a week the Soldiers aid society has bought 60 yds of muslin and made it into shirts for the soldiers / next Thursday night they are agoing to make a supper and what money they get goes for the benefet of the soldiers O girls I want to see you so bad I dont know what to do I could give you both a big kiss and I would like to hug Malissa to death now girls I want you to have that bed ready I will be down thare the first Sunday that comes in the middle of the week well Jule you said you wanted to know if pap went to Smiths yet he was thare last Sunday night well girls Bet wrote a great mess about me I wish you was here I could tell you about a bushel I wont undertake to write it it will take so much paper the envelop wont hold it

 

                                                I will have to get some more paper

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