Dear Daughter,
With pleasure I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines. This leaves us all well at present hoping this may come safe to hand and find you and the children well. I have been very sick with that hurting in my side. I was taken about midnight 3 weeks ago. I feel some symtoms of it yet but I hope I will well. I received your kind letter dated June 21 and was sorry to hear that you never got no letters from Thomas. I can't hear from him neither. There ain't any person get letters here. We heard the Yankees had our men surrounded at Vicksburg. There has been some hard fighting there. We heard that they had taken all that regiment Thomas is in -what was left after the battle. Lee Thomas was killed on a retreat. Some says he is not dead. We heard yesterday that they had taken Vicksburg. If that be the case you needn't look for letters. It won't be long, I hope, it won't be long until we can hear from him. You don't know how uneasy I am. When I heard that they were taken prisoners I had hope that we would see him again. If I hear from him at all I will write to you ___________. If I live I would be glad to see you and the children. If I can come to see you and the children in the fall I will. I want to see my sweet little babes bad. Kiss them all for me. Adelee, I never shall forget your sweet looks in life. I bought a cow with the money Thomas sent me. I had to give 60 dollars for her. Write soon as you get this in haste. I remain truly
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