McMinnsville

December the 29^th 1863

 

My Dear Wife I take my pen in hand this beautiful morning to let you no that I am well and I truley hope those lins will find you all well I recived a letter from you last nite and I red it with pleasure but sorry to hear that Emely eys is not got better tho I am in hops that tha are a getting better by this time and I truley hope when those lins may find you all well and doing well I hav nothing strang to rite the boys is all well and in fine sperits we are satis fied hear as well as we cold exspect / we are surounded by hills and mountians we hav plentey of good watter to drink and our Reg is in good helth at this time we hav not had eney snow hear yet we hav had som cold wether hear but we hav had an abundents of wrane I hav not bin sick sinc I left Rolla only I hav had the collic a coppel of times but not bad I want you to take Emeley somplace to hav hur eys Docterd if tha dont get better well you said that you had got a letter that I had rote to Amey I did not no that I rote a letter to hear the same day and I made a mestake tho I will make it all rite or i think so you send it to hear if you want to I will rite to hear soon and tell her a bout / it I did not ame to do such a trick but it is don so you said that you cold get one hunderd dollars for the prise if you can get that prise for them and you think you can get your wole I am willing for you to sell them and save the money for your self and tho if you cold get a nice yoke of too year old stears then dont by them untill spring for if you by them now you will hav to by more feede and be too mutch for you to do if you sell the stears let me no and dont by untill you rite to me and then I will tell you what I want you to do be shure to rite all a bout how you are a getting a long the time seems long to mee sinc I seen you and it will be longer yet / tho the time seams long but I hope I will live to get home to see you all and help you rase the children tell them that I lov them and want to see them the worst I ever did in my life and I want to be rememberd by them and if I never see you all eney more on this earth I want to meet you all in the brite world of etearneal gloury Oh may God help us and protect us and help us thrue all the trubels triels seen and on seen in this on frendely ware write soon and often

 

I must now close for this time rite soon let me no all how you are a getting a long

                                                                                    John W. Sanders

                                                                                    Rittey A. Sanders

 

[front upside down]

 

I got that letter that had that brade of hare in it

SOURCES