December the 22th, 1862
Camp near Nashville, Tennessee
Dear Wife, I take my pen in hand to let you no that I am well as common
and hope that when these few lines come to you hand tha will find you and
the children all well. I received your letter last night and was mity
glad to her from and and the children that you was all well but I didnent
like toher that you was astripping tobacco for I donte want you to hav
towork for nobuddy but yourself but I cant help hit. If you had a went
to Parrett you cool a got twenty dollars without a word but if you cin
(several missing words) you the moore when I git pade off. Tha owe me
five months wages that is fifty two dollars but I cant git hit tell tha
git reddy to pay me. Tha say hit wonte be long but that has bin the fact
for five months but hit will be good when it comes. I tried this morning
to git some money but thais no money in the regiment. I neede some myself
the worst kind for Ihante got but one oald shirt and hit is full of holes
and no socks atall. I dwo wish you cood send me a shirt but I recond the
children needs things as bad as I dwo. When you right again tell me how
you and the children is off for close. How menny you hav got and tell me
what all you hav got in the hous. If your clock aruning and your stove is
good ydit or not. But I recont it is give out by this time and hav you
got enny cat or dog or enny chickens and what you hav to eat. I tride
everway to git home to take Chrismas dinner with you. I now that I wood a
had a good dinner but I will hav to take sowbelly and hard crackers for my
Chrismas dinner.
I have ed so menny hard crackers and fat sowbelly that my teeth is all
wore out. I was mity uneasy about you all tell I got your letter. I had
dremes, such dreames. I drempt the other night that I lost five of my
teeth and hit is a bad dream. I think that some of my folks is dead. I
cant her from enny of them. I want you to right to them and if you hear
from them, let me no. Tell James Longley that Jacop Hendrickson was drum
out of the service last Friday for steeling his watch and other mean
tricks. If you see James Smith tell him that Tom is well and wants him to
right to him. Amos is well and sends his best respects to you and the
children. Doo the best you can and I will come home jest as quick as I
can for I want to be at home the worst in the world.
I can't tell you much about the war. Our men had a mity hard fight in
Virginia but our men didn't make enny thing of them. The war wood a bin
over if ould Lincoln had let the negro question alone. If he was in hell
and a negro tide to him I wood be glad. Thar is whar he ort to be for he
is a oald abbolishingist. I want you to tell me how the children all
looks and if tha growed much and what tha all way and what you way. I
would like to have all of your likenesses so I must bring my letter to a
close so farwell to you all. Direct your letters as you did.
Hillory Shifflet
Jemima Shifflet Continue to Hillory Shiflet Letter #7
