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                                    Brookland June 12th 1862

My dear darling Husband,

                       I received two letters from you last

Tuesday night, one written June 1st & the other the 5th. I need not tell you how thankful & happy I was to get a letter from you again and to hear that you are well again. Aunt Judy had a letter from Sam last night also one from Mrs. Howison Uncle Sam Rooker will bring Helon & Graham back with him Pa has just left will go by Shiloh to prayer meeting. he bought Mary back this morning so we are all here except Sister Martha she stays at Aunt Judys most of the time. We have Pa or Mr. Harris to see us every other day now. The three fever cases are all getting better have passed the crisis and two of them are free of fever in fact they have never been very sick. Pa says the children can go back home in two weeks if there are no more cases James [...at?] & Mary get right home-sick sometimes and Mildred too she has been confined to the house for a week till to-day. She hasn’t been sick but was afraid she would take cold with the mumps. Maria [Leniley?] came over this evening the girls are going back with her for a walk James [..at?] & Charley are out in the front yard playing with [Tasso?] [Min...?] is better yesterday or today than she has been for a week she is cutting tow jaw-teeth and looks rather puny. She is just the sweetest & smartest thing you ever saw can say almost any simple word and is beginning to connect words when Pa left this evening I put her up in a chair at the window and she said as plain as anything “Who is that - Pa?” She called him as long as he was in sigh. Oh Pa, Oh Pa. Charley talks about you a great deal very often asks “what will Pa say about it” Every night before he goes to sleep your little boy asks God to take care of you I must tell you his little prayer last night “God take care of Pa, and dont let the Yankees shoot him” said it of his own accord and in his own simple childish way. After he finished he said “Ma I have asked God to take care of my Pa wont he do it?” Oh darling I cant help feeling that this little prayer asked in so much faith will be answered and that you will soon be permitted to re turn home to your wife & little ones who love you so dearly I dont think you seem to be satisfied you seem to be low spirited what is

it my precious? tell me is your health good? you say you cannot stand the infantry service still you have always written that you were well (except your last spell & just before you let the [?]) and stood the life well please write me in your next whether you are in the Artillery or Infantry we have never been able to tell from any of your letters whether you had succeeded in getting back into the Artillery Mr. Pape from Clarksville was here yesterday he is buying corn oats & bacon for the Government he is offering 30 cts for bacon and $4. a barrel for corn. Pa thinks we had better not sell either now the wheat crop all through the country will fail the wheat on the river has been destroyed by freshets and the rust has ruined it in this part of the country there has been so much rain that the corn cannot be worked. All the farmers say they were never as late weeding corn

                 or better

your wheat is as good ^ than it was last year every one who has seen it says it is the best in the country. Mr. Harris says it is owing to your good draining your fallowed oats are very good too but the rust is in the spring oats. Dr. Wilson wants to get 20 barrels of corn form you Pa says I must let him have it as you are in his debt. I never saw as many rats in my life. [Leniley?] says there was only a peck of your seed corn (in the box) left the rats had destroyed it. Every rainy day I tell them to catch rats one day they killed 50 another [90?]) and another 20 think we will thin them out after a while. The garden looks right well now I had beets today have had a large box made and put in the [breuch?] just before the spring it keeps the milk very cool & nice and fresh meat will keep well four days put the meat in a tub and sink it in the box. I had it made to have nice cool butter milk for you when you come home I know how you love it at this season of the year. I have 13 goslings but not many chickens the spring has been so wet & cold will sell all the hens I can now and get their hatchier out by harvest and then I can raise them with little trouble. You see I am making arrangements for you & me to live at home next winter and want to raise a plenty of fowls & vegetables. Tell the boy to make haste & whip the Yankees home we want to have [?] back again I think of you every minute in the day and long for happiness & peace once more I cannot believe God will suffer our heartless enemies to

[Marginalia – at top of first page]

persecute us much longer let us look [over?] on the bright side the time is coming and it may be very soon when we shall be a free and happy people and when our loved ones will be restored to us again May God in his infinite mercy hasten that happy time Oh darling if I could only tell you how much I love you better [  ? ] than life, coun try or any thing else [?] I c[...] enjoy any thing unless shared with you It is dark Goodbye my precious one May God protect you Your loving Wife Nannie.