May June the 5 1864

Hilton Head, S.C.

 

Dear wife as it is my Birth day I thought I would write afew lines to you to let you know that I was well at present hoping that those few lines will find you the same I have not got them pictures yet nor have I had any letter from you in some time I wish you would write oftener it takes a bout eight day for a leter to come here and if you would write oftener I would get letters oftener dont wait for me to write I will answer all the letters that you write so write often all the rest of the boys gets leters evry maile and I mite if my folks thought of me Dear and famly I dont want / to think that any of my famley has forgoten me but I do think that they are vary neglant as for my self I have not for one moment forgoten them dont think hard of me for writing as I do for I think that you mite write oftener not that I shal for git to write to my famley well I will quit scolding for this is my Birth day and I dont want to be cross to day so wife I will just kiss you and all of the children and mother to and we will make up friends and say I done all the quarling myself but you my litle daughter must look well to your pen and ink or I shal scold worse next time 

 

and thet aint all you will get another scolding for tomorow is Poes Birthday and I aint the lest doupt but he will be croser than I am all tho I wont think that eather of us will bite you the distance we are apart

 

but I hope before our next birth day we will return home to our folks and say the war has closed and our stares and stripes wave over the land of the brave and the home of the free now I have wrote to let and Elic and have not had any answer and I wrote to emly coats and no answer well never mind I will get some by and by I will wait paciently wife you must not let our girl Helen go from home if you do I shant git any leters atall / tell comstock that Nelson still traided that land to Isac collens for a horse

 

I dont know thare is any news to write

 

I will send my love to all of you my wife and children

 

I paid for a paper 9 months and I supose you have got it by this time it comes weekly if you have let me know

                        R Bemis to his

                        wife Mary P Bemis

                        and children

                        Hilton Head south

                                                Carolina

 

[margin]

 

this litle shell I

picked up on the

salt water shore

SOURCES