MS 818 - Stephen Burton Papers Transcripts (May - August 1863)

Title	MS 818 - Stephen Burton Papers Transcripts (May - August 1863)
	May 4, 1863 May the 4) 1863 My Dear beloved Wife I have taken my pen in hand to rite a few lines to let my dear no that I am well and I hope thaes few lines will find my dear quit well and we are a good ways down south now but I cant tel how far we are a goin and we have feal in with som of the rebbles now and one of the boys got shot and we kild nine fo them but our Regtment did not have no hand in it at all my dear wife the 2 day of may we was in mount selo and it is in a rebble cuntry now and more so than we ever bean be for but I hope my dear beloved wife that we shall bout of it som my love for I do want to git hom to my sweat little wife o my dear I wo like to se you a gain onece mor and that will be for ever more for the weather is very dry and warm but I dont no how it will be in a month or to time but my dear beloved wife I must tel you that when I get wear I can send my walen shorts hom to my sweat dear beloved wife for I hope and turst in god that I shall se hom a gain but it is hard to tel eny thing a bout cuch times as thies we have bean on the march for six days rite along but I hope we shant go much farther now but shant I be glad when this is all over My dear beloved wife I must commence a gain to ancer your kind letter wat I got the 2 of may and I was so glad to hear you was well now but I was veary sorrey to hear my loving wife has bean sick but glad that you are better but when you get so that you cant get out of your bed and I no it and they wont let me com hom I shall run a way and com and se you my dear beloved wife but I hope we shal be at hom a gain but give my love to John and adeline and I wich them all well and I hope to se them a gain som day but Johney is not a long with us now but he will be son and James gage is well and a long with us now but I will rite a few lines to Catey and do the best I can but I did not think they thot a nof of me to rite to me but it was short letter but it may be longer next time but we are a gitin som verey heavey thunder storms hear day is Sunday after noon but we have got a verey strong armey hear now and more keepe comming all the time more the better for us my dear wife god bleach you dear hart but my dear wife when I red your last letter it made tears com in my eyes to hear you had bean sick but when you get thoes few lines will find my love quite well and the next letter I git from you it will have better newes to com and that is all this time so thear no more from your well wiching Husbon Stephen Burton the one ho loves you from the bottom of his hart Montesello is wear I am now but send to sumerset till I alter the address kentucky 103 Regt OVI I hope my dear wife the next letter I get from you I shal hear that my love is quite well a gain and I hope she will keep so to [at bottom] your last letter was rote the 23 of April and I got it the 2 of may May 9, 1863 Sundy morng May the 24 1863 nine month a go to day since I left my dear wife My Dear beloved Wife I have once more taken my pen in hand to rite my love a few lines hope to find you quite well as it leaves your Dear Husbon quite well at present but my dear you may think that I can com hom eny time when I are a mine to but it is not so my love but if I cold com when I was a minto you may bet I shoald bean hom be fore this time but my love I shal be thear the first chance I can get and get monney a nuf to bring me hom my loving wife for I long for the day to com that I can get you in my armes a gain and go to sleap in each others arms and blow the candle out my love and have a little pleasure to our self my love and ask no ods of eny body but kom I must and will com if god spars my life to get thear my dear is dear witch is so near and dear to me god bleach your dear hart but my dear beloved wife I must tel you just how I feel I feel in the rite mind to com hom and reddy to start to morrow morning if I had it to start with my dear wife but you may no wat is a stoping of me and as son as I can get our pay a gain you may lock for me hom my dear beloved wife but dont get mad for I cant not hilp it my love for I dont want want to do eny thing rong between me and you and I mean to use my wife well wile we live to gather my dear beloved wife but my dear wife you and I hant had much chance to find out wat each other was in the time we was to gather but my dear sweat dear wife I must say as this I do hope and pray to god a bove that when I can get hom and stay thear we may live a long and a happy life to gather as long as we both shall live god bleach you my dear I do wich my armes was a round you eny place wear ever I cold get them first I wold not care so it was som plase a bout my loving wife you never had a man be fore to think more of you than I do at this present time weather I am at home or a broad my dear wife ant that so my loving wife if that is rong I dont no wat is rite my love our boys stand on one side of the cumberland rive on picket and the rebbles on the other side of the river on picket but my dear I dont think this war can last much longer for I do think this sumer will wind it up my dear beloved wife for our armey is a cuting of thear suplis now and taring up the rail rode track and doin lot of dameg to them now but my dear wife it is hard for me to tel when I can com hom but you may bet I shal be thear the first chance I can get my love but thear ant eny of the boys gon hom yet for thear ferlows cant com back yet and that is all I can rite this time so thear is no more from your well wiching Husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you so dear so good morning may god bleach you and me now and for ever more amen Somerset Kentucky kiss swet when ever we meat a gain and it will be fore the forth I hope my loving wife... May 24, 1863 Sundy morng May the 24 1863 nine month a go to day since I left my dear wife My Dear beloved Wife I have once more taken my pen in hand to rite my love a few lines hope to find you quite well as it leaves your Dear Husbon quite well at present but my dear you may think that I can com hom eny time when I are a mine to but it is not so my love but if I cold com when I was a minto you may bet I shoald bean hom be fore this time but my love I shal be thear the first chance I can get and get monney a nuf to bring me hom my loving wife for I long for the day to com that I can get you in my armes a gain and go to sleap in each others arms and blow the candle out my love and have a little pleasure to our self my love and ask no ods of eny body but kom I must and will com if god spars my life to get thear my dear is dear witch is so near and dear to me god bleach your dear hart but my dear beloved wife I must tel you just how I feel I feel in the rite mind to com hom and reddy to start to morrow morning if I had it to start with my dear wife but you may no wat is a stoping of me and as son as I can get our pay a gain you may lock for me hom my dear beloved wife but dont get mad for I cant not hilp it my love for I dont want want to do eny thing rong between me and you and I mean to use my wife well wile we live to gather my dear beloved wife but my dear wife you and I hant had much chance to find out wat each other was in the time we was to gather but my dear sweat dear wife I must say as this I do hope and pray to god a bove that when I can get hom and stay thear we may live a long and a happy life to gather as long as we both shall live god bleach you my dear I do wich my armes was a round you eny place wear ever I cold get them first I wold not care so it was som plase a bout my loving wife you never had a man be fore to think more of you than I do at this present time weather I am at home or a broad my dear wife ant that so my loving wife if that is rong I dont no wat is rite my love our boys stand on one side of the cumberland rive on picket and the rebbles on the other side of the river on picket but my dear I dont think this war can last much longer for I do think this sumer will wind it up my dear beloved wife for our armey is a cuting of thear suplis now and taring up the rail rode track and doin lot of dameg to them now but my dear wife it is hard for me to tel when I can com hom but you may bet I shal be thear the first chance I can get my love but thear ant eny of the boys gon hom yet for thear ferlows cant com back yet and that is all I can rite this time so thear is no more from your well wiching Husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you so dear so good morning may god bleach you and me now and for ever more amen Somerset Kentucky kiss swet when ever we meat a gain and it will be fore the forth I hope my loving wife... July 3, 1863 July the 3 [1863] My Dear beloved Wife I have once more set my self down with the greats of pleasure to rite a few lines to you hope to find my loving wife well and I am well at present my dear beloved wife we have got som good newes hear last sundy eving and you dont no wat shouting thear was with the regment after dark it was because our forces had caut old morgan and he has caus us a good meny steps and sor feat to but I hope he never will eny more my dear beloved wife and I am appy to hear it is so and it was in the papers mondy eving but you dont no how glad we all was to hear it and I gess you was glad to hear it at hom my loving wife and I will be glad to hear thear thear thear was a good many mor was capurd and it wold shorten this war very fast but my dear wife let us stick up for the dear old flag as long as we can my dear and we was cald up last sundy night about eleven o clock to get to days rations in our haver sacks redy for a march and that was the last we herd of it but we did not go but the rebels com in this state at Somersit but our forces drove them back a gain that is the report hear but I cant tel how true it is my darling wife but it dont seam to me as we shal ever sea fite but I cant tel how son it may be our lot but I hope it will please the lord to keep us out of it my dear wife but we are stil lain in camp but we may have to leav son but my dear wife I have that som times to my self that when we march a gain it will be toards hom and I do hope we shall my love my dear beloved wife I commence to rite this letter last Tuesday and be fore I cold get it don we had to march again and I am gld to tel you that we are hom again and we are com this side of hickman bridge and we may com back near hom yet and I hope we shal my dear for I do want to se you so bad that I dont no hardly no wat to do for thear ant a nite coms for wat I think of my dear wife when I lay down to sleap or eny other time for I do wish this war wold end for if I ever wanted to get hom it is now my dear beloved wife. July 22, 1863 July the 22) 1863 My Dear beloved Wife I have once more set my self down with the greats of pleasure to rite a few lines to you hope thoes few lines will find my love quite well as it leaves me at present my dear you must ancer them letters the best way you can for I ant made a very good job of it this time for I had not time to rite eny mor this time but my dear wife I hope the next letter I rite to them or to you I shall be at hom wear I shall in joy my self better than I can now but I do think this war is most all don with and I do hope it is most all over and I do think we never shall se eny fite at all but it is hard to tel eny thing a bout it at all but my dear beloved wife thear is one thing I must aske you for and I gess you will get it for your dear husbon and that is a new soft hat to wear and you get a low one and get it to suite your self and then you will suite me my loving wife and you can send it by express for that runs throw this town and you may send wat you please but that is all I want to wear but if you want to send eny thing to eat you can do so but if you cant spar the monney dont send that but my dear wife you better beleave I wold like a peace of pork and bread for I hant had a tast of pork cence that you sent last winter in frankford for I am out of mony now and I let Johney have to dollars and the same to Jihm gag and the same to mate hokenes and they com to me and ask me for that much and I did not like to deni it from them at all my loving wife and god bleack your dear hart and all the rest of you my true harted wife and I do think this war is most all over and I hope it is for I do long to se my dear wife for you are the nearst and dearst frend I have got in this world for when we com from Stanford hear thay all most march us to death for it is ten miles and we marcht it in five ours with our knapsacks on and haver sacks and gun and every thing a bout us and it was hot and dry and the hol regmen give out and every one cried shame of it I did not mean to put Danville in my sister letter that was a mis stake so thear is no more from your dear Husbon Stephen Burton so good nite and god bleack you and me now and forever amen Send to Danvill Kentucky give my best respect to John and adeline and I wich them well the boys are all well August 1, 1863 Augs the 01) 1863 My Dear Beloved Wife I have Wonce more with the greats of pleasur to rite a few lines to you hope to find you quite well as it leaves me at present my dear wife in a few ours after I rote the other letter sundy eving we had oders to get every thing redy for to march and it com very suden and we her we was a goin down in to teenesees and that is a long ways from hom my loving wife but we ant shour as we shall go yet I will finech this to morrow and send it a way if I can but my dear beloved wife I hope you wont feal bad a bout it but it is hard to tel weather we shal go or not and if I get time to rite a nother letter before I go I will do so my loving wife but I do hope we shant go eny ferther from hom for I have bean as far down in this part of this cuntry as I wanto go and I will send hom to you in this letter twenty dollars this time for I dont want to caret it a way eny ferther from hom for I no it will be safer at hom in my dear wife hands and it will be hear for I cant tel wat may happin to us yet but I hope thear wont be eny thing more than thear has bean my dear wife but I hope we shal all com out safe at the end my dear wife and give my well wiches to John and adline and I wich them all well and the boys to and we may be gon before you get this letter but I hope not my dear wife and that is all I can think of this time so thear is no mor from your dear beloved Husbon Stephen Burton so good moring and god bleach you my sweat dear wife I am sorrey to leave you behind but I cant help it now for it is gon to far so god bleach you and me now and for ever amen. Danville Kentucky the Husbon of Mrs. Polley Burton and I wich I was at hom in sted of goin a way but when I get out of this I never shode get in a nother cuch a scrap as this my dear wife but I hope it son will be over and let us all com hom to our dear wives at hom kiss sweat when we meat to part no more and that will be a happy day for us both my loving wife. August 7, 1863 Augs the 7) 1863 My Dear Wife I have once mor taken my pen in hand to ancer your kind letter that I have recived this eving and I was so glad to hear you was well and I hope thoes few lines will find my dear quite well as it leaves me at present my dear wife you sed in your last letter that you had sent me one dollar and now to dollars but to I have got all right the one I never have sean my dear wife and I was glad to hear that you had got hom a gain all safe your letter was maild the second of augs and I got it the 6 and we have had a great thanksgiving day on the sixt and prayer meating and it goes clear throw the hol united states army let them be wear ever thay maybe and we had a nice rain to day for the weather is so very hot hear for we are glad to get in the shade so I will leave you to gess how it is but my dear wife we expect to get our pay now in a few days for we have sind our name to the pay rolles yesterd but my dear beloved wife I must thank you for that monney and I hope that I shal be able to return it to my dear wife a gain before long and great deal more to it my love and it will be a happy day for us to meat a gain to part no mor til death parts us o my dear wife wold I like to have my arms a round your neck in bed to sleap to nite a gain as I have don a good many times before my dear sweat wife and you my darling of my hart and you are the best friend I have got in this cuntry and you are the nearst and dearst frend I have now to rite to and I hope god will have mercey on us and poor down thy spirit from above and warm thy hart with holy love and that god may open the door of haven and that and we may set on the right hand of god the father all mity from thence he shall guge the quick and the ded but my dear wife I shall be glad when I can get by your side to set down to eat to gather and I hope when I com hom a gain my dear wife will be reddy to receve me at the gate and you must rite as often as you can my dear wife we dont no when we shall have peace but that great god a bove does now he noes all things and he can do all things and sees all things but let us pray that god will bring us all safe at last my dear wife we are loud soft bred now but I cant tell how long we shall get it and we get one lofe a day but my love this war must com to a end som day for every thing look better and better every day a little and I hope it will keep so till the war is all over and I gess you do the same my dear wife and I gess a good meny more do my dear wife but my love I do not want you to run your legs of from you to get a hat if you can get one handy hom it will do just as well my love but my love I must tel you a little about wat they are doin at hicken bridge they are bildin very strong forts for a large armey for the barreckes are like them at Cleran and great deal larger than them at hom and some of them are for the winter next but my dear beloved wife I hope be fore it is time to go into winter quarter we shall have our winter quarter in our one house my love and when I am a riten to you it makes me feal so that I dont no wat to do with my self you cant rite all you wanto I no nir mor cant I my love if I cold rite all I want I should have some very large letters my dear wife and I hope god will spare our life till we can meat a gain and we are gon back to danvill a gain but how long we shall stay hear I cant tell but the report is hear that we are a goin a good ways further down south than we ever have bean yeat but my dear wife in stead of our goin further of I hope we shal come near hom my dear wife and may god bleach your dear hart my sweat dear wife and that is all I can think of this time so thear is no more from you dear husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you from the bottom of his hart so good day may god bleach you and me now and for ever amen kiss is sweat when we meat a gain to part no mor till death parts us both Danville Kentucky the husbon of Mrs. Polley Burton no date My Dear beloved Wife I have rote thaes few lines to you to ask you to finnesh that letter to send to your brother and sister and I wich them both well and ancer it when you please my swet dear wife I live in hopes I shal se you again som day

Title

May 4, 1863

May the 4) 1863

My Dear beloved Wife

I have taken my pen in hand to rite a few lines to let my dear no that I am well and I hope thaes few lines will find my dear quit well and we are a good ways down south now but I cant tel how far we are a goin and we have feal in with som of the rebbles now and one of the boys got shot and we kild nine fo them but our Regtment did not have no hand in it at all my dear wife the 2 day of may we was in mount selo and it is in a rebble cuntry now and more so than we ever bean be for but I hope my dear beloved wife that we shall bout of it som my love for I do want to git hom to my sweat little wife o my dear I wo like to se you a gain onece mor and that will be for ever more for the weather is very dry and warm but I dont no how it will be in a month or to time but my dear beloved wife I must tel you that when I get wear I can send my walen shorts hom to my sweat dear beloved wife for I hope and turst in god that I shall se hom a gain but it is hard to tel eny thing a bout cuch times as thies we have bean on the march for six days rite along but I hope we shant go much farther now but shant I be glad when this is all over My dear beloved wife I must commence a gain to ancer your kind letter wat I got the 2 of may and I was so glad to hear you was well now but I was veary sorrey to hear my loving wife has bean sick but glad that you are better but when you get so that you cant get out of your bed and I no it and they wont let me com hom I shall run a way and com and se you my dear beloved wife but I hope we shal be at hom a gain but give my love to John and adeline and I wich them all well and I hope to se them a gain som day but Johney is not a long with us now but he will be son and James gage is well and a long with us now but I will rite a few lines to Catey and do the best I can but I did not think they thot a nof of me to rite to me but it was short letter but it may be longer next time but we are a gitin som verey heavey thunder storms hear day is Sunday after noon but we have got a verey strong armey hear now and more keepe comming all the time more the better for us my dear wife god bleach you dear hart but my dear wife when I red your last letter it made tears com in my eyes to hear you had bean sick but when you get thoes few lines will find my love quite well and the next letter I git from you it will have better newes to com and that is all this time so thear no more from your well wiching Husbon Stephen Burton the one ho loves you from the bottom of his hart Montesello is wear I am now but send to sumerset till I alter the address kentucky 103 Regt OVI

I hope my dear wife the next letter I get from you I shal hear that my love is quite well a gain and I hope she will keep so to

[at bottom]
your last letter was rote the 23 of April and I got it the 2 of may

May 9, 1863

Sundy morng May the 24 1863

nine month a go to day since I left my dear wife

My Dear beloved Wife

I have once more taken my pen in hand to rite my love a few lines hope to find you quite well as it leaves your Dear Husbon quite well at present but my dear you may think that I can com hom eny time when I are a mine to but it is not so my love but if I cold com when I was a minto you may bet I shoald bean hom be fore this time but my love I shal be thear the first chance I can get and get monney a nuf to bring me hom my loving wife for I long for the day to com that I can get you in my armes a gain and go to sleap in each others arms and blow the candle out my love and have a little pleasure to our self my love and ask no ods of eny body but kom I must and will com if god spars my life to get thear my dear is dear witch is so near and dear to me god bleach your dear hart but my dear beloved wife I must tel you just how I feel I feel in the rite mind to com hom and reddy to start to morrow morning if I had it to start with my dear wife but you may no wat is a stoping of me and as son as I can get our pay a gain you may lock for me hom my dear beloved wife but dont get mad for I cant not hilp it my love for I dont want want to do eny thing rong between me and you and I mean to use my wife well wile we live to gather my dear beloved wife but my dear wife you and I hant had much chance to find out wat each other was in the time we was to gather but my dear sweat dear wife I must say as this I do hope and pray to god a bove that when I can get hom and stay thear we may live a long and a happy life to gather as long as we both shall live god bleach you my dear I do wich my armes was a round you eny place wear ever I cold get them first I wold not care so it was som plase a bout my loving wife you never had a man be fore to think more of you than I do at this present time weather I am at home or a broad my dear wife ant that so my loving wife if that is rong I dont no wat is rite my love our boys stand on one side of the cumberland rive on picket and the rebbles on the other side of the river on picket but my dear I dont think this war can last much longer for I do think this sumer will wind it up my dear beloved wife for our armey is a cuting of thear suplis now and taring up the rail rode track and doin lot of dameg to them now but my dear wife it is hard for me to tel when I can com hom but you may bet I shal be thear the first chance I can get my love but thear ant eny of the boys gon hom yet for thear ferlows cant com back yet and that is all I can rite this time so thear is no more from your well wiching Husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you so dear so good morning may god bleach you and me now and for ever more amen Somerset Kentucky

kiss swet when ever we meat a gain and it will be fore the forth I hope my loving wife...

May 24, 1863

Sundy morng May the 24 1863

nine month a go to day since I left my dear wife

My Dear beloved Wife

kiss swet when ever we meat a gain and it will be fore the forth I hope my loving wife...

July 3, 1863

July the 3 [1863]

My Dear beloved Wife

I have once more set my self down with the greats of pleasure to rite a few lines to you hope to find my loving wife well and I am well at present my dear beloved wife we have got som good newes hear last sundy eving and you dont no wat shouting thear was with the regment after dark it was because our forces had caut old morgan and he has caus us a good meny steps and sor feat to but I hope he never will eny more my dear beloved wife and I am appy to hear it is so and it was in the papers mondy eving but you dont no how glad we all was to hear it and I gess you was glad to hear it at hom my loving wife and I will be glad to hear thear thear thear was a good many mor was capurd and it wold shorten this war very fast but my dear wife let us stick up for the dear old flag as long as we can my dear and we was cald up last sundy night about eleven o clock to get to days rations in our haver sacks redy for a march and that was the last we herd of it but we did not go but the rebels com in this state at Somersit but our forces drove them back a gain that is the report hear but I cant tel how true it is my darling wife but it dont seam to me as we shal ever sea fite but I cant tel how son it may be our lot but I hope it will please the lord to keep us out of it my dear wife but we are stil lain in camp but we may have to leav son but my dear wife I have that som times to my self that when we march a gain it will be toards hom and I do hope we shall my love my dear beloved wife I commence to rite this letter last Tuesday and be fore I cold get it don we had to march again and I am gld to tel you that we are hom again and we are com this side of hickman bridge and we may com back near hom yet and I hope we shal my dear for I do want to se you so bad that I dont no hardly no wat to do for thear ant a nite coms for wat I think of my dear wife when I lay down to sleap or eny other time for I do wish this war wold end for if I ever wanted to get hom it is now my dear beloved wife.

July 22, 1863

July the 22) 1863

My Dear beloved Wife

I have once more set my self down with the greats of pleasure to rite a few lines to you hope thoes few lines will find my love quite well as it leaves me at present my dear you must ancer them letters the best way you can for I ant made a very good job of it this time for I had not time to rite eny mor this time but my dear wife I hope the next letter I rite to them or to you I shall be at hom wear I shall in joy my self better than I can now but I do think this war is most all don with and I do hope it is most all over and I do think we never shall se eny fite at all but it is hard to tel eny thing a bout it at all but my dear beloved wife thear is one thing I must aske you for and I gess you will get it for your dear husbon and that is a new soft hat to wear and you get a low one and get it to suite your self and then you will suite me my loving wife and you can send it by express for that runs throw this town and you may send wat you please but that is all I want to wear but if you want to send eny thing to eat you can do so but if you cant spar the monney dont send that but my dear wife you better beleave I wold like a peace of pork and bread for I hant had a tast of pork cence that you sent last winter in frankford for I am out of mony now and I let Johney have to dollars and the same to Jihm gag and the same to mate hokenes and they com to me and ask me for that much and I did not like to deni it from them at all my loving wife and god bleack your dear hart and all the rest of you my true harted wife and I do think this war is most all over and I hope it is for I do long to se my dear wife for you are the nearst and dearst frend I have got in this world for when we com from Stanford hear thay all most march us to death for it is ten miles and we marcht it in five ours with our knapsacks on and haver sacks and gun and every thing a bout us and it was hot and dry and the hol regmen give out and every one cried shame of it I did not mean to put Danville in my sister letter that was a mis stake so thear is no more from your dear Husbon Stephen Burton so good nite and god bleack you and me now and forever amen
Send to Danvill
Kentucky
give my best respect to John and adeline and I wich them well the boys are all well

August 1, 1863

Augs the 01) 1863

My Dear Beloved Wife

I have Wonce more with the greats of pleasur to rite a few lines to you hope to find you quite well as it leaves me at present my dear wife in a few ours after I rote the other letter sundy eving we had oders to get every thing redy for to march and it com very suden and we her we was a goin down in to teenesees and that is a long ways from hom my loving wife but we ant shour as we shall go yet I will finech this to morrow and send it a way if I can but my dear beloved wife I hope you wont feal bad a bout it but it is hard to tel weather we shal go or not and if I get time to rite a nother letter before I go I will do so my loving wife but I do hope we shant go eny ferther from hom for I have bean as far down in this part of this cuntry as I wanto go and I will send hom to you in this letter twenty dollars this time for I dont want to caret it a way eny ferther from hom for I no it will be safer at hom in my dear wife hands and it will be hear for I cant tel wat may happin to us yet but I hope thear wont be eny thing more than thear has bean my dear wife but I hope we shal all com out safe at the end my dear wife and give my well wiches to John and adline and I wich them all well and the boys to and we may be gon before you get this letter but I hope not my dear wife and that is all I can think of this time so thear is no mor from your dear beloved Husbon Stephen Burton so good moring and god bleach you my sweat dear wife I am sorrey to leave you behind but I cant help it now for it is gon to far so god bleach you and me now and for ever amen.

Danville
Kentucky

the Husbon of Mrs. Polley Burton and I wich I was at hom in sted of goin a way but when I get out of this I never shode get in a nother cuch a scrap as this my dear wife but I hope it son will be over and let us all com hom to our dear wives at hom kiss sweat when we meat to part no more and that will be a happy day for us both my loving wife.

August 7, 1863

Augs the 7) 1863

My Dear Wife

I have once mor taken my pen in hand to ancer your kind letter that I have recived this eving and I was so glad to hear you was well and I hope thoes few lines will find my dear quite well as it leaves me at present my dear wife you sed in your last letter that you had sent me one dollar and now to dollars but to I have got all right the one I never have sean my dear wife and I was glad to hear that you had got hom a gain all safe your letter was maild the second of augs and I got it the 6 and we have had a great thanksgiving day on the sixt and prayer meating and it goes clear throw the hol united states army let them be wear ever thay maybe and we had a nice rain to day for the weather is so very hot hear for we are glad to get in the shade so I will leave you to gess how it is but my dear wife we expect to get our pay now in a few days for we have sind our name to the pay rolles yesterd but my dear beloved wife I must thank you for that monney and I hope that I shal be able to return it to my dear wife a gain before long and great deal more to it my love and it will be a happy day for us to meat a gain to part no mor til death parts us o my dear wife wold I like to have my arms a round your neck in bed to sleap to nite a gain as I have don a good many times before my dear sweat wife and you my darling of my hart and you are the best friend I have got in this cuntry and you are the nearst and dearst frend I have now to rite to and I hope god will have mercey on us and poor down thy spirit from above and warm thy hart with holy love and that god may open the door of haven and that and we may set on the right hand of god the father all mity from thence he shall guge the quick and the ded but my dear wife I shall be glad when I can get by your side to set down to eat to gather and I hope when I com hom a gain my dear wife will be reddy to receve me at the gate and you must rite as often as you can my dear wife we dont no when we shall have peace but that great god a bove does now he noes all things and he can do all things and sees all things but let us pray that god will bring us all safe at last my dear wife we are loud soft bred now but I cant tell how long we shall get it and we get one lofe a day but my love this war must com to a end som day for every thing look better and better every day a little and I hope it will keep so till the war is all over and I gess you do the same my dear wife and I gess a good meny more do my dear wife but my love I do not want you to run your legs of from you to get a hat if you can get one handy hom it will do just as well my love but my love I must tel you a little about wat they are doin at hicken bridge they are bildin very strong forts for a large armey for the barreckes are like them at Cleran and great deal larger than them at hom and some of them are for the winter next but my dear beloved wife I hope be fore it is time to go into winter quarter we shall have our winter quarter in our one house my love and when I am a riten to you it makes me feal so that I dont no wat to do with my self you cant rite all you wanto I no nir mor cant I my love if I cold rite all I want I should have some very large letters my dear wife and I hope god will spare our life till we can meat a gain and we are gon back to danvill a gain but how long we shall stay hear I cant tell but the report is hear that we are a goin a good ways further down south than we ever have bean yeat but my dear wife in stead of our goin further of I hope we shal come near hom my dear wife and may god bleach your dear hart my sweat dear wife and that is all I can think of this time so thear is no more from you dear husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you from the bottom of his hart so good day may god bleach you and me now and for ever amen kiss is sweat when we meat a gain to part no mor till death parts us both

Danville
Kentucky

the husbon of Mrs. Polley Burton

no date

My Dear beloved Wife

I have rote thaes few lines to you to ask you to finnesh that letter to send to your brother and sister and I wich them both well and ancer it when you please my swet dear wife I live in hopes I shal se you again som day

MS 818 - Stephen Burton Papers Transcripts (May - August 1863)

Center for Archival Collections

MLA Citation

Tags

May 4, 1863

May 9, 1863

May 24, 1863

July 3, 1863

July 22, 1863

August 1, 1863

August 7, 1863

no date