Bristol Elkhart Co In^d April 19^th/ 63

 

            Dear Son

It is but a weak since we wrote to you but as you are a long time in geting our letters I thought I would try & write a few lines today while I am a lone Mother & the 2 are in Church & Edward is taking a rest on bed he is rather poorley this spring; I was taken with bleeding at my lungs again a friday night I went to town yesterday Saturday, & bleed some all day but today I dont bleed & feel tolerable tomorow I intend to hawl our manure plow the ground & plant our pottatoes &c. we intend planting over one acre of sorgum this year it is a profitable crop if tended well /

 

Well I have comenced to write but I hardley know what to write News I scarce here There was quite a stirr & skedadle here amongst the Absentees & diserters before the 1^st of April some took the timley hint & returned to their Rigments acording to the Presidents orders & others ware fetched with Iron Mittens on they are geting very sever on disenters one was tried & shot at Indinaplis last weak he had diserted to the Rebles, took the oath of Aligence there & then returned as a spy. I will send you the whole account of it as soon as I can get it; he was a smart or edicated young man from Ind. I feal for him but he deserved it he knew better / I think I would suffer anything even death in battle than disert; Wm Butts has not ben herd from since he was taken back strange to some but not to me. I can make a guess he is in some secluded place perhaps dooing pennance in sack cloth & ashes Andy Carver returned to his Regt unvolintarley; Samuel Butts is in your old Rigt 74 dooing dooty on horsback as a spye; he is a good Solr Mr Trego got a letter from Aron yesterday. he & Simon ware at are place (viseting) the boys there are all well & in good spirits for a fight which they look for very soon near Murfresbourgh

 

the Virginia armey under Hooker are on a moove too there is some hevy fighting looked for soon in difrent quarters / I hope our caus will have a glorious victory in the end the Women of Richmond had a regular turnout or riot last weak in Richmond Vir^a 3000 women turned out with guns pistols axes &c. & cried Bread Bread or Blood. Broke stores &c helped themselves & the military could not stop them till Jeff Davis was brought to them he gave a speach promising bread & food & they dispersed again the same hapned at another place in vir the same day if Hunger is a good cook surley famine is a severe Nedsesity & will call for redress from those what have brought it on the poor women by such scamps as Jeff & Co. I hope they will make him toe the mark

                                                                                                Wm A

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