Feb, the 16, 1864
Dear Wife
I Seat my Self to drop you a fu lines to let you here from me I am well except cold and I hope those fu lines may find you and famely engoying the Same great Blesing of a kind father helth is one of the greatest Blesings bestoed on man and home is one of the suetest words and and Mother is a nuther I wold like to go home and See Mother but it is dobtful about my geting of I wod giv amost any Sum to hur But I dont expect to get home Soon but the Lords will be dun not mine this is a cold clody day I receved your kind leter yesterd dated the 8 yesterday was the 15 this is the third letter this week to you and one to Mother I wod like to See Mother
Well Mag I hant got much nuse to write to you this morning my fingers is cold I can carely write I wrote C.A.C. a letter last week I receved one letter form him and and Sit down and answered it write of I answer all the letters I get tel C.A.C. when he writs to me to hold on dont be so short of breath giv me sum thing to be glad for the first sight of a leter makes makes me regoice with in but when I open them and see but a fu lines scatered over the paper I think it is hard work to write to me I think the hand is on the paper but the heart is not and tha will Say I wrote to R.C. but got no answer just sine your name and I will answer it if I get it
R,C,C M,I, Caldwell