[Transcribed on 2/15/2022]
Suffolk Nov the 19th 1862 I now sit down to answer your letter that you wrote you and mother Telling us about the provision that you sent us I read your letter the 15 and have not had time to answer it untill now we got the provision last Evening we got all that you sent us and it all kept first rate you cannot guess how tickled we bothe was to get it to think we could get some thing from home to eat Charleys tasted so good to him because Mother sent it to him and mine tasted so good to me because my Frow had sent it to me the Pies was first rate and so was the Cakes and the Butter came just in play to eat on our bread we have not had any butter before since we have been in Suffolk and you cannot think [2]
how good bread and butter tasted to us after dooing without so long but it tasted agreat deel better because Wife and mother made it you wrote in your letter about that Cosens wanting to cut wood on my lot if you think it would be for the best or any Company for you I am willing that he should chop wood and board with you you must charge him the going price for board and give him the wood for choping the ground over and brous ing the cows and he must take the
top of the bank on the South east side of the run that comes down
in front of the House for the south east line and cut up through to the shanty cut
every thing clean as he goes and keep it in a body to gather heap the brush as well as I did where I choped and not cut any
[3]
rail timber he must cut the rail timber down trinit and pile the brush and not leave any timber standing on the ground if he comes there to board
you must have him pay prety often for his board for I finde that there is no telling whether a man is honest or not untill you finde them out and some times by a sad experience doe the best that you can we have not had any storm cince the sno storm that I wrote to you about untill now this is the 20 I awoke and it was raining I got up and
and built a fire and am writing by fire light and now the drum beats for beakfast and I have got to go on fateigue to day do I shall have to stop writeing this is the 21st last night was a very rainy Night [4]
but it was a verry warm rain when I was in the woods choping yesterday I saw new blown woods Paseys and I saw in a mans
yard several kindes of new blown Roseys
Charles and I are bothe
detailed to go on guard this after noon I can not think hardly any thing to write but after my letters are gone I can think of a great many things that I wanted to tell you it is warm here the Peepers yeel the bull frgs croke and it begins to look like clearing off I wrote to you some time ago to send me some mitins and toabaco Rufus wrote to his folkes the same time for some pots if you can send with them do so and if not get John to make me a small box about the sise of Francis Chest get some hinges and have put them on put on my little lock and put the kee in the box in a secure way put in such things as you think I would like and fasten the lid down with screws tell John I will pay him for makeing the box if you see Louis before you send it tell him that I like Cheese from D.H. to C.h.H.
