Dear Elizabeth,
I embrace the opportunity of writing you a few lines. This leaves us all well and I do hope this may come safe to you and find you and the children well and doing well. Elizabeth, I would of wrote to you before now. I was waiting to see if I could hear anything from Thomas. I have heard from him at last. Calvin Sharp got home the other day. He said Thomas was taken to the hospital the day before the fight at Baker's Bridge near Vicksburg. He was very bad off with chronic diarrhea and talked a great deal about you and the children and the rest of his friends and home. HE had but little hope of him ever recovering. Thank God we have better news than that. Mr. Force and William Beasley came to the house where Thomas stayed 6 weeks. He had just left there 3 days and gone home with the doctor. She said she could not keep him from eating fruit. She said when he came to her he could not walk and had taken good care of him and appeared to think a great deal of him and told Beasely to tell me not to be uneasy about him. The doctor is a a relation of hers and a fine man and the Doc said he should not start homeuntil he was out of danger. He could walk about right smart so he could get to the orchard and get fruit. How he got away from the hospital they did not know. he is 30 miles from Vicksburg this way. One mile and a half from Brownsville. He don't know the country he is in. It has just been 3 weeks ago last Friday they left that house they stopped at. They can't pass letters from there here is the resaon he dont write so Beasley said you know if have ever heard from him or not. A few words to Charley. If it could be so you could go after Thomas I would be glad. I as afeared he never will get home from there. If you will go, what he sent me to buy a cow with, you can have to bear your way. If Elizabeth is willing, he would be so glad to see you come Charley after him. If I had money enough I would started just as soon as I heard it and could of got ready. That would not took me long. I am afeared he will start home before he is able and give out on the way. I hope if he does he meet with good friends again. The lady he stayed with 6 weeks is in good standing. Her husband had taken his negroes off to keep the Yankees from getting them at the time Thomas stayed with her. Mr. Force was sick himself. He stayed 3 days with her and and he told Mrs. J. Cunningham she was a fine woman and treated him just like a mother. Beasley told me he was in four miles of Thomas. If he had of been well he would of went to of seen him. I would be glad to see you and the children. I intend coming if nothing happens more than common in cool weather if I should live. Tell AdeleeGrandma is coming by and by. Kiss the children for me. Amanda sends her best love to you and the children and tell Adelee she must not forget her. Emery Thomasis dead. He died in Atlanta. James Thomas is dead. He died in Chatanooga. He was sick. Had taken medicine that morning and eat cucumbers between 10 or 11 o'clock. He could go all about camp sitting talking with Brient Richardson very pert and pitched over on his hands and died in a few minuets. Died with eh choking quindey. Emery Thomas, 2 sisters widowed, Emaline and Molissa. James Cunningham has gone after Franklin. He is at the hospital at Petersburg, Virginia. The Yankees got him at Bakers Bridge Miss. Yours truly until death.
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