Mouth of White River Arkansas November the 3rd 1864 Mr Dear Elizabeth With delite I sit my self down to write you a letter This leaves me well & harty hoping it may find you well you were very cute in your news on the subject of the wolen shirts & very romantic in you news concerning the management of the table or provisions ( I hope you are ) yes I think you are fully compitent for the crisis & wil endevor to conduct maters as near rite as the enigmas of the times requires & let the expenditures be as compatible as the the financial income as posable I supose you advised the serpant in the well to be kild ear it caime to the top of the well for fear it must bite the servant who was drawing the water how I would have been immused to have sean you draw up the reptile Well Lizzie laying all jokes aside I oftain think of the hardship you have to undergo & of times I [pages 2 and 3 missing] [written on a sixth fold of the letter] November the 4th 1864 This is a beautiful morning how delitful yet how suden may be the cut off from this world of sorrow Last Evening at 9 PM John W Sallee of Co A took a congestive chill & died at 11 Oclock last night he was som connection of Lieutenant Meadors [written sideways on a sixth fold of the letter] This morning finds me well & harty as this leaves me I have just went up to the commesary & weighd My weight is one hundred & Forty seven ie 147 pounds net That sounds big enough for a man dont it I am going a hunting tomorow to kill a bear mabe dont forget me Lizzie I am yours Truly Mac to Lizzie Hooker [written sideways on a sixth fold of the letter] I have no stamps now so excuse my maken looking letters 7 months from the 13th of this month my time is out one more good cow in the later part of the winter would be a grate thing for you but feed is scarse bacon wil be cheaper next sumer than pork is now Posie has been on a big scout in Virginia Litle McLelan is Dead in this part of the Army no one atall will suport him Give my respects to all but all my love for your self 2 Am your Mac to Lizzie Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723