Tarrant Texas June 13^th/64

Monday morning

 

Dear Mary

         Your kind favour of May 26^th was gladly received, and read with interest, for it had been so long since I had had any thing from you. I was truly sorry to learn that you had all been so sick, but glad again to hear you say all was better and that your Brother's had been to see you. it is so pleasant to have our friends (particularly ones from Relatives to see them. My own Brother's are both gone left three weeks ago today with their sheep for western Texas. Bro Columbus will start in a fiew days with the cotton train; then I am pretty nearly alone, save the children, for M^r Black is just as closely confined to his shop now as when you was here. Mary my health is much improved since last I wrote / you, am feeling well enough to want to visit you all very much, but how or when I will have that pleasure I cannot now say, hope to do so before the summer is passed. The news from our Army of late is enough (of itself) to make a sick person well. Just to think how God has crowned us with victories in every instance, can we be sufficiently thankful for so many blessings. Our country is also blessed with the most abundant crops of grain, wheat very good & corn as pretty as can be. Some people (notwithstanding all the blessings received) are disposed now to complain that there is comeing too much rain. You know there are some who are never satisfied with any thing. We got a letter yesterday from Uncle Ringo. he is making his home at a M^r Dicksons, in Pitsburg, had been to Marshall a day or two before writing / where he met with M^rs Johnson & Lilly first that he had seen them since he left Little Rock, says they are heartily tierd of Texas—but he says he never saw them in better health than they now have. Lilly had grown surprisingly in hight, having now the ordinary stature of woman. he seemed surprised to think she had grown so fast. when Uncle was here he supposed his son Walton was not living as he had heard nothing from him since last July, just before he went into the Gettysburg fight. after returning to Pittsburg he learned through some friend that Walton was yet living, and in Virginia had been wounded, but did not say where when or how, but he supposed he had received the injury in the above named battle. Walton was fast recovering in Feb, and exceedingly anxious to return to the field again. Uncle himself is very anxious to return to his former home the Rock / likes Texas pretty well but thinks if the Yanks will let him that he will spend the remainder of his days in Little Rock. Mary cant you make me another visit this summer, think you. I would be so much pleased to have you, I dont want you all to think about starting back to Ark. yet but do hope the day is not far distant when you might go with safety. We are not going to move whilst the war lasts, but when it is over, I doubt not we will go west or south west of this, dont know just where, but someplace where we will have a better class of Society better than tis here & some school for the children I wish Mary that I could visit you all as often as my children do, the often talk about you and what you said to them about your pets. they now go (in short plays) and take something every time to Selina as she is sick. they all send much love to you and the children. M^r Black gives me his respects to your Pa, Ma & self. Mary do write me often it is like getting letters from my kindred almost when I get your letters, for from my sisters I never get any more.

 

From your friend Mattie Black

 

P S Mary I always write so fast when I am on the last page of a letter that it is badly written & hard to read. dont know what makes me do so

Mattie

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