May the 17^th 1863

 

My Dear Wife i am a gane blesst with the prevolig of ritting a fiew lins to let you no that i am well at this time and i truley hope when those fiew lins comes to hand tha will find you and the Children well i recived your kind letter baring date may the 7 which i was glad to hear from you and glad to hear that you and the Children was well and doing well as you was

 

Now i will tell you i hardly no what you mean by saying that if i com home you wold / ask me a grate many questions and per haps som that i wold not like to ansor i will ansor eney of them the vary best i no how So if thare is eney thing that you want to now pleas rite and let me now it you said dear wife that you had bin a looking for me home we hav had the promis of furlows but we hav fald in getting them and i am a frade that we will not get to see each others faces for a long time yet tho i want to see you mitey bad and talk with you i cold tell you a grate many things / Oh i wold like to be with you and hug you and kiss you and you now that we cold enjoy som pleasure of this life to if wee cold see each other and be to gether i now i never wanted to be with you and the little Children in my life oh that the ware wold end and peece restoard one time more on this earth

 

Dear wife i hav sent you 20 Dollars in a letter a fiew days a go and i want you to let me now whether you hav got it or not and if that goes thru safe i will send som more / I dont now whether i will get home soon or not if i can get to com you now i will for i will keep a nuff money by me all the for to pay my way

 

tell the Children that I am well and I send my best respects to them I exspect you had better by them beeds for it is on serten whether i will get to com home or not but thare is one thing that i want you to do if i never see you eney more let us try to meet in heven this is my request fare well

 

write soon       John W. Sanders

                        Rittey A. Sanders

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