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Oct 29 1861
North carolina Jackson Co
Dear friend and husband
it is with grate pleasure that i rite
to you to let you now that mea and my
children is well hoping these few lins
will find you in good health I have
Just red the leter that you sent mea
and was glad to her that you was alive
But you did not say whether you was well or
not But I hope you was I have red 4
leters from you and has rot you 2 and
my dear I hant forgot you for i think of
you every hour in the day and would all
most give up my life if you could bea
back at home to stay with mea and your
children for Alexand talks about you a many
atime times in our county is hard for the
poor class of people for every thing is giting
so deer that tha cant By hardly a naughf
to gan [?] an salt is from nine to ten dollars
a sack her and every other thing is proportion
thier is good crops made in our county I
think corn can bea bought at 50 cts
all through the winter and now this people
is debard [?] of halling off thir meet I dont
now how wee will git our nessaryes
for money is scerce here I have got
all of our property yet I have not sold
eny of it yet and I think that I will
keep it for i cant sell it for its
worth only Bacon or Beef catle and
I hant got eny of that so turn over

your fathers folks is all well and giting
along very well allison is a working for mea
and epects to work 10 or 12 (?) days he has left
home and expects to marry before he gos
back he is a talking of coming to you but
I think it is all a Joke ________ [?] is making
a good crop of corn and is milking 2 cows
thar are increesing and doing well
franklin was up a bout a week a go and
tha was all well and franklin has a fine
son miss Mckiney is deed has Bin dead some
4 weeks thir has bin several deths in our
county and her dying words was pray for
mea S I Calhoun came clare of killing
crane thir is 3 company of volenteers
made up in macon county one starts
to day thir capt is Alfred Bell and
allen amons will start before long
wea have quite wram [sic] wither her
for this time of year and the most
rain i ere saw of afall wee have
had some frost But it hanet
done now inJury thir is good crops
made in hamburg but it is to warm
and wet to gether yet I hope ther
will Bea a chang of Wether for a litle
cooler Wither would Bea the Best and
perhaps would bea helther for you
my deer I wish I could see you
Wee could have a heep of good fun
look on nex page

hold on till I git a nother lamp for my
lite is Bad har I have got more talow
and now i will rite on I would like
to have your likness But the people
ses that I have got it with mea for
thae saz that Elizabeth hamton is a young
gim James Franklins helth is a Bout
like it was When you left John T
______ [?] folks is all well an ant fany
sed to send you howdy for her F..A. Hoopers
Funeral was preecht last sabath By Corn
From Henderson so I must come
to a close By saying that I hope I will
see you When your time is out so
fare well
To James Watson
Elizabth Watson
T.A. (?) Watson
J.F. (?) Watson
E. Hamton Watson
There is howdy for mea and all of
your children
her is your shoo strings if you a git them