Stafford Court House, Feb 1st, ’63

Dear loved wife,

I shall not write a great deal tonight for we have had a great deal to see to for Sunday and I have not got through yet, but as my last letters were a little gloomy I thought I would let you know of our improved condition, we have got shelter tents and have built huts and covered them with our tents. The huts are not all done but ours is so we can keep dry in.

I wrote Mary Anna a letter from the old mill where I went for shelter and told her to show it to you as soon as she got it. In it I gave an

Mt. Carmel, Wednesday eve, Jan 28th, 1863

My own dear husband,

I hate to let this evening pass without writing to you, but I don’t think I will be able to write much, for I have a hard headaches, and pain across the back of my neck (you know it is nothing strange for me to have the headache). My poor miserable head troubles me very much; my hand is very unsteady tonight for I haven’t been taking anything stronger than tea; but I have been sweeping the church today, and sweeping always makes my hands tremble. Speaking of tea makes me think I have been trying to think to ask you when I have written, if a little good

Stafford Courthouse Jan 27th /63

Dear wife,

If you get all my letters now you can’t be much disappointed when you go to the post office for I have written this makes three in five days; but they have been very unsatisfactory to me for I have not spent more than 15 minutes on any of them and when one is tired in body and mind it is hard to collect one’s thoughts.

You say you cannot help being anxious about me. I know that, and I will confess there is room for anxiety, but that God who has brought me safe thus far is able to restore me once again to you, and not only me but also to

Stratford Courthouse Jan 25th, 1863

Dear loving wife,

I wrote you a letter or part of a letter day before yesterday and gave it to Joe to carry, I put it in an envelope I had discarded. I thought then I should add a few lines but he got a chance to send it and could not see me so he sent it along; he did right but I don’t know but you will think it strange that I should wind up so short.

At the time I wrote we were in camp in the woods without rations (I wrote in the morning), the teams were sent back to get some rations but couldn’t get any so we had to