Aug the 28^th 1863

 

Dear Rittey Ann let mee tell you I fel thankful to our god that I am still sparde from the grasping hands of deth and I feel thankful that I am blest with as good helth as I am I am well to day and I hope when those scrabling lins comes to hand tha will find you and the Children well and doing well well I now you hav bin looking for me but you hav looked in vane I hav bin disapointed by our Capt he told me that I should hav a furlow in stid of letting me come home this time he sent John Cooper out to recrute for the Compney / well this is twist that I hav bin disapointed but dont get out of harte if I dont get to come untill my time is if I liv then Sholder Straps will hav no show with me tha do as tha pleas and we poore privets dos as we can I will wate untill those men gets back tha are on a 15 days furlow and Cooper has bin goan 2 days fistey Stuart and Suton is the others that is goan I considder that the Capt has not don rite tho let this pass and say it will all come rite in seven year all mestaks dont make hay stacks if it did we wold hav lots of them tho if you can get eney boddey to cut you some / grass I want grass cut no difernt, if it coasts one dollar and a half per day hav som cut get W^m keth or som man if posebel for I cant come in time to cout eney for you the 15 or the 20 of September before I can come home if I come it will be better then if I never come well you can tell that I am not vary well pleased at this time owing to the way the Sholder Straps has treated mee well do the best you cane if I get to come home I can tell you some things fare well for a while

 

                                                                                                John W. Sanders

                                                                                                Rittey A Sanders /

 

Well a fiew lins more well Children I think I will get to come to see you some time if we liv live be good Children and save mee a hug and a kiss for me

and be good to your mother and learn your books I think I will come after while

 

fare well

 

                                    write as soon as

                                    you get this letter

SOURCES