MS 818 - Stephen Burton Papers Transcripts (Spring 1863 - 1865, no date)

Dear mother

i take my pen in hand to send you a line as steaven is wrighting i rote a letter the other day and i dont know wheather you will like it but some dam shit has stole my rubber coat and i wish that he was in hell or some other good place and i wish that you would send me another and a good big comfoter and a pare of gloves. Get the money from orren if you haint got it and i wil send i back when i git my pay [illegible] likely they wil cost $10.00 dollar but i cant healp it.

your son
Smith

July 15th / 64

Dear mother

i take my pen in hand to let you know that i am well at present and i hope that these few lines will find you the same and al of the rest of the folks at home times is pretty hard at present hear but i guess that they will get better soon our troops are al a cross the river now and they are geatting ready to march on to Atlanta and i hope thay will soon for it is geatting so hot down hear that i wanto sea this thing wound up as soon as possible now so that we can get to some place whare we can lay still a gan during this warm weather we had a verry fine storm hear last night it rained vary hard and the wind blowed verry hard to it killed the ajutant of the 16 Ky and wounded the major and wounded three of the hundred and fourth Ohio by trees bloing down by the wind it seams very hard to have men killed that way after surving too years and over and then get killed by a tree in bed

i got me some new clothing yestaday i got to pare of pants and four pare of sox to last this year out and a new blouse al the clothing that i have drawed this year has cost me thirty four dollars and fifty sents and i get forty two dollars allowd to me a year if i dont draw any more clothing this year i will have seven dollars and fifty sents coming to me

We have got four months pay dew us now and thirteen month and a half to sirve yet but that wont seam long to me but i supose it does to you

Wal i reckan that i will hafto close for this time good by yours truly Miss Polly Burton

J.S. Hendricksen
Co.B

Camped at Smithvile on the Cape Fier River, North Carolina

Feb 19, 1865

Kind & Ever afectionate Mother

it is with mutch pleasure this fine day that i took the Opertunity of ritting you a few lines to let you know that i am well and the days are groing warm & long and it seams lonsome hear if i cant get a letter pretty often & you must think of me often and rite evry chance you do get & if you are at Uncle Garrets tell him to rite me a few lines just to pas time as fast as possible for time begins to gro long and as near as i can find out you are on the point of getting married again & if so rite and let me know thare wont be any harm in it as i do know of if thare is kepit to yoar self i haint drawed any money fore a long time now and i shant til my time is out unless you do want some and if you do you will hafto rite soon and let me know i sent home for some and you warnt thare and Aunt Adeline took the Opertunity to sent it to me and i am ten tousand times obliged to her and you will pleas pay her for me and i will send it to you if you want it as soon as the rest are paid and if you dont kned it i will wait til i com home before i am paid a gain