Jan, the 1864
Dear...Wife
I rece your letter dated the 9 on the Same day I Started my last one the 12 and on the 14 I rec one dated the 5 and on the 28 of Dece those 3 dates is all I have got Since I left Wilmington I was Sory to here of your geting hurt but I hope you will Soon git over it my helth is good except a cold but I am over it it dident Stop me from eting we dont get bread a nuf we draw bred loof So much a day wee get half a pound of meet a day it is So Stinken I cant go it and dry coffe that is our ras I expect we will Stay here I don like this place much but not my will be dun I can sta where anyone elce can if I keep my health
ales his eye tel hen to open them diches the one belo the garden I want all of the menure and Stuf haled on the garden field on the pores Spots hen knows where wee have a heep of bad wether dams here wee have good preachen down here wee have of wicked men don here That is what keeps this war going on The Siners [sinners] must repent bfore this war Stops before old master rases his rod of affliction when the peple acnoleg god to be the Lord then we ma look for pece not before wee must repent or peresh was is tire sum place but it will close sum time I dont care how Soon Nuthing mor at present, if Ford cals for a horse let him have it
R.C. Caldwell to Mag his wife at home home
Well Mag you have forgot to write me the nuse of the neighborhood Mag my box was all rite the onley falt I had to it was it got dun two Soon John Ford is going home he will Stop at my house to git a horse to ride to Bob Simpsons you can make arons[note] with him about a box to me when he comes back I dont know when I will git home I want you to pay Sandy McKinley what I oe him I am very well satsyfied a bout Bens hire I think you had beter hire the Robert boy 4 month in crop time you had beter speek for him in time Bathe the mue eye and give him sulfur a table Sponful at a time 2 a week, it is two much corn
Well Mag I want Ben to make rails cut his timber along side of the nuground gap cut them big trees where the wood was piled cut his timber along both ways from the gap make 5 hundred along there and cut the tops for wood I want that fence fixt back of the garden next Telers and up the rode to the house and I want the fence repaired from the medow to Telers fence Ben can cut the timber you can hire sum niger at knight to split Ben can git Harry Stafford or sum one and Ben can split I want the wheat sprated and the corn stocks all nocked down and the brush gathered of the wheat if you can by a wagon any where by it 2 hore maby you can get Blooms 2 or 3 hundred maby C.A.C. can by one for you