(1863 
March, 14th 
Lake, Providence, La 
Dear Wife 
I take up my quill thi 
         Evening to write you a 
few lines to let you Know that 
I am as well as usual and hope  
this will find you well: I Rec,d a 
letter from you last night Dated 
Feb 25th I was Sorry to learn that 
you was unwell with the Rhematism 
but I hope they will not Remain 
with you long; we all must Suffer 
to a greater or less Extent from Disease 
and we must bear them with the best 
fortitude we can, where they are unavoi 
dable; though we should guard against 
them as 
^ far as possible; The Boys are all as 
well as usual . Alvin Caulkins is  
well he Recd a letter from his folks  
last night Dated Feb 22nd his folks 
    was all well 
His Father wrote that D. Caulkins 
was Dissatisfied in Iowa and says he 
means to go back to Badax this Spring 
though [Osin?] Says he likes the country 
first rate himself; he says Timber 
is Scarce, though it is not very [Dere?] 
yet; he says he would like to have Some 
of his Old Badax Neighbors to come 
out there and Settle; but Says he would 
not Advise any one to come lest they 
Should be Dissatisfied with his 
Judgement; he wants them first to 
come and look for themselves 
Alvin is almost froze for a chance to 
go home; So that he can go and help 
his father make a farm on the broad 
Prairies of Iowa; The weather here 
is quite warm and pleasant and 
Spring has fairly Opened the Trees 
Begin to look quite green : you wrote 
that you had found another Tax 
   Certifficate on your mothers land 
 and asked me if you should  
Buy it; I do not mean to have your 
Mother loose her land: But I would  
only Buy Enough Certifficates to keep 
the Land from being Deeded until I 
come back and I will See farther 
about it; It Stands in hand to be  
as Equinomical as we conveniently 
can So that if I Ever get back we 
may have a little to Start life with 
we; Recd two months pay yesterday 
I will Send you ten Dollars in this 
letter and if it goes through all right 
I will Send you Som more . I think 
Some of Sending my overcoat home 
by Express before long if I do I 
will write to you about it; then if I 
Should get Killed the coat might 
fit your next husband if you 
Should be so lucky as Mrs Allen 
for She has become a widow twice 
Since I Saw you 
I have not Rec,d any letters from 
any of my friends Since I wrote to 
you before     ; [crossed out] [I See] we are Expecting to 
March Soon but I do not Know where 
and it matters but little to the soldier 
where he does go unless he could go 
home  there has been no fighting of 
any note here Since I wrote before 
    I have no news of Importance to 
write this time; So take care of your 
Self the best you can: Your wrote that 
Baker Said he could not pay them 
Notes this Spring; I took the Notes 
on So long a time that I do not think 
that I ought to wait long after they 
are Due I would therefore tell him 
or who Ever pays them that I could 
not give any Extention of time but 
have it paid over as Soon as convenient 
     Write Soon		Thos J Davis 
      L.M. Davis